Sitting At A Coffee Shop with Captain America
by koolgirl1120
Summary: Tania Banks is just an average business woman who survived the alien attack a month prior, trying to make a living in a mangled New York City. She's not Captain America's biggest fan, but when she runs into him (or rather, he runs into her - literally) on the street, she starts to become one. Steve/OC domestic Avengers, whole team included, 3rd genre would be action, sequel posted
1. Chapter 1Oneshot (NOT THE END)

**A.N. Hey Everyone! This is my first Avengers fic that I've ever posted (not the only one I've ever written). I plan on writing a romance fic for each Avenger, so here's Cap/OC. My main character somehow turned into my friend, so though it's not EXACTLY like her, it is her. :P so i hope she likes it and i hope you do too. enjoy! :D**

**I own nothing**

Sitting At A Coffee Shop With Captain America - Steve/OC

Captain America was a legend... _is _a legend. People look up to him; except one girl: Tania. Tania didn't fan girl over the exceedingly handsome (she'll give him that) superhero that almost every female was squealing over. What good would it do? Captain America was too good good for just any girl, all of their hopes and dreams and unrealistic fantasies would be crushed. So Tania didn't even bother thinking about him, not even about the time he'd saved her from impending doom and then ran away to help someone else who was being attacked by aliens.

Captain America's mask, suit, shield, image, and merchandise were seen everywhere Tania went. They cluttered up the window displays at the malls, clips of the Avengers' amazing triumph played at every commercial break, his photo was on billboards, magazines covers, she even saw him painted on a _car_ once. Honestly? She was tired of all the attention he was getting, and it was all her friends could talk about.

"Captain America is the hottest Avenger..."

"I swear he looked _right_ at me..."

"He's so heroic..."

"...selfless..."

"...strong..."

"...awesome..."

Gosh! Tania didn't want to HEAR it anymore! She would bet one hundred dollars that none of them had ever actually _met_ the famed Captain America they loved so much. She herself hadn't even met him, not properly and yet, she couldn't rid herself of the assumptions she had swimming around her head.

_Impulsive._

_Confidant._

_Shy._

_Stubborn._

_Uncaring._

_Dismissive._

But she learned the hard way that she was wrong – for the most part – but still, she had never been so happy to be corrected. It was about a month after Loki's invasion when she saw him again – sans uniform. It was in person too, and up close.

Tania had just exited a cab and into the bright sunny, cloudless day of June twenty fifth. The star of our solar system shone harshly on her pale skin, slowly burning her. She slammed the door of the car and took one step after another on the pavement; her heels clacking against the cement with each step.

Tania quickly began to dig around her red leather purse for her cell phone to assure herself that she wasn't late for work (she never was) when something rammed into her at full force. At first, she thought it was a car, but when strong arms wrapped around her when her face was an inch from the ground, she realized it was a person.

"Oh! I'm sorry ma'am. Are you alright?" Tania had never heard that voice before, but it sent shivers down her spine. The strong man (with _very_ nice arms) held her in a firm grip and helped her back to her feet. That's when she turned to face her savior/attacker and gasped.

Captain America – though it felt weird to call him that seeing as he wasn't in uniform – didn't even let her say anything before interrupting. "Ma'am, are you hurt?" He asked again. Tania blinked.

"No, I'm fine." She answered. Captain Rogers(?)' facial features visibly relaxed.

"I'm terribly sorry Miss, I wasn't watching where I was going. Is there any way I could make it up to you?" His sparkly eyes bored into hers and she was taken aback by his behavior. It was almost totally opposite to what she had originally thought. He wasn't shy, not really, and he cared one hundred percent, he... okay, she didn't know him well enough to totally judge his character... but maybe she _could_ get to know him... you know, just to prove (or dis-prove... if that's a word) her theory. Yup, only reason.

"You can take me to Avengers Tower?" Why did she just say that? Well... if she got to meet Tony Stark and introduce him to some of her business ideas, then it could be her big break! And Captain (?) over here could get her that chance. It wasn't technically abusing him if he offered right? Steve(?) looked shocked at first, but then smiled and Tania couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm on my way there now. I kind of live there." He jutted his thumb towards the semi-repaired Tower. "Would you care to join me in my walk there?" It was quite a distance away... oh well, more time to get to know Steve. Her heart sped up a bit and she nodded, sending a fleeting glance at her office building before deciding that this was more important. Steve gestured for her to go first, so she did. _He's quite the gentleman. Or is it all an act?_ "So what's your name?" he asked.

"I'm Tania."

"Steve." Tania had to bite her tongue to stop herself from replying, 'I know'.

"So Steve," she thought she saw him grin with the most adorable dimples she'd ever seen, "tell me about yourself." He seemed surprised at her question and responded with one of his own.

"Would you mind telling me why you want to go to Stark Tower first?"

Tania blushed. Right. She cleared her throat. "Right, well, if I could just show Mr. Stark some of my ideas for his marketing and advertising segment, then I'd have a once in a lifetime chance of working with THE biggest company in the world! Well... one of them, anyway." Was it a trick of the light, or did Steve's face fall for a second?

"Oh, alright, that's fine. And to answer your earlier question, I enjoy swing music, cannot dance for my life, and I used to go to bars every other weekend but I haven't been drunk in years. What about you?"

"Oh! Well..." she bit her lip. Anything to help conduct and experiment... sort of. She really did want to get to know him, even if she never saw him again. "I hate swearing, I'm kind of a perfectionist, I love to draw, I suck at cooking, and I have a tendency to wear pencil skirts." Steve laughed.

"I like to draw too. When we get to the tower I can show you some of my... uh, works, if you want. You know, after you're done with Tony." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked straight ahead, avoiding her gaze. Tania smiled bright at him.

I'd like that." huh, who knew they had something in common? "I also took ten years of dance lessons, so if you want... I could teach you." She was hesitant to say that last part because it would imply that they were going to see each other again, and why would they? They'd only just met... gosh, she felt like a creeper now.

"Sure, sounds like fun." He smiled and Tania relaxed. "I'm warning you now though, I may cause severe injuries." Tania laughed and waved it away as they crossed the street.

"Don't worry about it. You've already saved my life, I'm due for some bad luck."

"Saved your life? I almost ran you over..." _He doesn't remember me. Great._ Of course, typical man. Unless... he rescued too many people to count, in which case... typical superhero. She rolled her eyes.

"During the alien invasion. I was getting mauled by one of the aliens and you wrestled it off me, then ran to go help someone else. I'm not surprised you don't remember me, it was a very brief encounter." She began to walk faster, anxious to get to the Tower. Steve matched her strides easily.

"I'm sorry." He apologized sincerely. Tania shook her head.

"Don't be. You saved my life, and I'm eternally grateful." She brushed her bangs away from her eyes – a telltale sign that she liked someone. Of course, there was no way Steve could know that.

"Great! No hard feelings then?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't expect you to keep track of every girl you save. Unless you have photographic memory, in which case I'd have to slap you for not remembering me." The two chuckled together.

"Well don't worry, now that I have a name to a face, there's no way I could forget you." Tania blushed scarlet, completely flattered.

"Thanks. You must get this a lot huh? I mean, girls running up to you and claiming that you looked at them or brushed their arm or something and just squealing at the mere sight of you. In fact, I'm surprised we're not being swarmed by fans at this very moment." She quickly looked left then right in search of oncoming screaming girls. All clear.

"Actually, I don't get out all that much. This is probably the third time I've left the Tower since the attack." Steve admitted, shrugging his shoulders. Tania gaped at him.

"But... how did... that would explain... oh. You know what? I don't have much of a social life either." Steve chuckled as something warm began to creep into Tania's heart and slowly spread throughout her entire being.

"Some of the other Avengers practically forced me to go to this coffee shop last week and I quote, 'mingle'. One good thing came out of it though, the food there is AMAZING. In fact, it's coming up here." he pointed to the little restaurant across the street. The reminder of food made Tania's stomach grumble.

"Skip breakfast?" He asked, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

"Yeah, I kinda blew it up in the microwave this morning." Steve chuckled.

"Sounds like me." Tania furrowed her eyebrows.

"Do you do that often?" It was his turn to feel embarrassed. HA!

"Yeah, I still can't figure out how all this technology works. It's very confusing." _What?_

"What do you mean?"

"We didn't have any of this stuff where I'm from, or should I saw when?" He tried to smile, but it didn't get very far before falling off his face completely. Tania had no idea what he was talking about.

"Excuse me?" Steve looked at her. Her brown eyes were clouded with confusion. His jaw dropped.

"You mean you don't know?" He asked incredulously. She shook her head. He had never met someone who at least didn't know about him being from a different time. Did she think he got his super human strength from weight lifting?

Her stomach rumbled once again and Steve shook his head, laughing quietly. He gestured to the coffee shop. "Come on, I'll explain over brunch." He held the door open for her and and she hesitated, biting her lip before thinking _screw it!_ And entering the restaurant.

Immediately she was attacked by the intense smells of coffee beans and baked goods; it was like heaven. She took a deep breath and plopped down in one of the chairs at a table for two, tossing her purse onto the back of her chair. Steve sat down across from her and linked his hands together on top of the table.

"What do you want to eat?"

Tania shrugged and opened her menu. Steve did the same. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, browsing their choices. Tania had chosen her food long ago, now she was just trying to organize her thoughts.

She was sitting at a coffee shop with Captain America.

…

Not something you can say every day. _But I might._ Her subconscious was right, she _could_ do this every day. She could get to know him better, see him every day, drink lots of coffee (bonus!) and be closer to Stark (also bonus!). How could she bring that up though? 'Hey, I know we just me but would you mind hanging out with me for no other reason other than to see if you're a douche or not to disprove my theory?' yeah, no.

But something was telling her to get to know him, like a gut feeling. Tania always followed her instincts, and right now they were telling her that Steve was someone she shouldn't just let walk out of her life.

"You ready to order?" She asked, closing her menu and setting it aside. He nodded just as a waiter passed their table dressed in jeans and a uniform shirt with a name tag that read _Randy_.

"What can I get you?" Steve gestured for Tania to go first.

"I'll have the almond croissant and a strawberry tart please." She handed Randy the menu and Steve copied her.

"And I'll take the hot cross buns."

"Perfect, and how would you like your coffees?"

"Black." They chorused. They both looked to each other, surprised. The waiter disappeared as they laughed at each others' shocked expressions.

"I've never met someone else who liked their coffee black." Tania gushed, excited that she was finally able to find someone who did.

"Me neither." They smiled cutely at each other. After a few seconds of content silence, Tania crossed her legs and set her hands in her lap.

"So what were you going to explain to me?" And just like that, they were off. Steve told the story of how he became Captain America. And for once, he didn't mind. Tania hung on his every word, nodding enthusiastically at appropriate intervals and smiling sympathetically at the sad parts. Their food was long since eaten and their cups refilled twice. There had already been a couple bathroom breaks too. Even still, they kept at it, talking amicably like they'd known each other for years. Before they knew it, it was getting late.

"Cheque please."

Both Tania and Steve got out their wallets, but Steve reached across the table and put his hand on top of hers. Did someone say fireworks?

"I've got this." He smiled. And who was she to refuse free coffee and food? She smiled back and put her wallet away. Together, they got up and stepped out into the cloudy day just as a rain drop fell on Tania's eyes lashes. She fluttered them frantically and it disappeared.

"It's gonna rain!" She exclaimed, excited. Steve didn't seem to like the rain as much as she did, seeing as he scowled. Noticing this, Tania took his hand and began to pull him in the direction of Avengers Tower.

"Come on Cap! Live a little! Let's run!" She dragged him behind her until he gave in and began running too. The rain fell down harder and soon it was pouring. Tania laughed as they bolted for cover that was still a few blocks away. Their hands were still linked when they dove inside Stark's lobby several minutes later, completely drenched from head to toe. Steve was grinning like a maniac and Tania was giggling uncontrollably. It was quite the sight to see.

"Well, here we are."

"Yeah."

Awkward silence. Steve scratched the back of his neck and blushed.

"I... I'd like to see you again. Would you like to meet up again tomorrow?" Tania's smile widened.

"Same time?"

"Same place."

At that moment, Tony Stark, closely followed by Pepper Potts, entered the lobby. "Well, well, what do we have here? Cap'n virgin getting wet with a girl in my humble abode?" He clucked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk. I thought the oh so wonderful Captain of our nation would know better than that."

Steve and Pepper rolled their eyes. Tania walked up to Tony and stuck out her hand. "Tania Banks, manager of Marketing and Advertising at Potter Inc. I would like to speak to you about the way you are presenting the world of the greatness that is Iron Man." Everyone raised an eyebrow at this, but no one questioned it. It was an effective method.

"Well," Tony threw an arm around Tania's soaked shoulders and began to lead her away from Steve and Pepper, who was trying to convince him to get into some dry clothes. Steve caught Tania's eye and she winked at him, then went right back to listening to her potential new boss ramble about himself. "... but I could just fire him. If you wanted, we could probably arrange something..."

THE END


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. Hey all! Guess what? Im baaaaack! I've finally started making this a multi chapter and I've got tons of plans for this story. I'm just warning you now, although this story mostly focuses on Tania and Steve, the entire team will have their moments and be involved quite a bit in the story. You'll see why in a few chapters ;) Chapters are not going to be updated regularly, but I'm kind of in an Avengers Obession mode right now and have been for the past month or so, so I'll probably be updating this alot more than my Glee fics (sorry guys! I kind of lost where I'm going with those...) Anyway, I'll let you enjoy chapter two of Sitting At A Coffee Shop WIth Captain America (quite a mouthful isn't it?) Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - I don't own the Avengers, Drew Barrymore, Finding Nemo, Harry Potter, or anything else. Potter Inc. was something I made up on the spot based off the notion that my friend loves Harry Potter. I own nothing except for my OCs.**

CHAPTER TWO

Tania sat in Tony Stark's office, utterly soaked to the bone and totally ruining the material on the chair she was currently sitting on, but Mr. Stark didn't seem to mind. She certainly wasn't about to bring it up and possible shatter her chances of working with the biggest face in business history (in her opinion anyway). She sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap atop her navy pencil skirt and crossed her ankles to the side, nodding every few seconds or so, making sure not to do it at exact times. He was a genius, she didn't want him figuring out that she wasn't listening. But then one word caught her attention and she refocused on his spiel.

"... offer up anything you've got. Now, I'm not usually one to care about what others are telling me and I assure you I won't give you the reaction you were expecting, but I'd like you to tell me what you had in mind that you think could possibly benefit Stark Industries when it has a fine CEO like Ms. Potts to run it better than I ever did." Tony finished, playing with stuff on his desk the whole time as if he wasn't even paying attention to what he himself was saying.

Tania found herself blinking uncontrollably in shock. "You mean, now? As in, give you a full and impressive presentation on my ideas for your marketing and advertising... without any of my stuff? You have to understand Mr. Stark, that I came here on a whim. I-"

"I don't want to hear it! If you've got something to say to me, say it now before I change my mind." he kicked his feet up on the desk and leaned back in his chair with his arms behind his head, a smug look on his face that seemed permanently etched into his features.

Tania didn't do anything for a few seconds, scrambling with her thoughts on what to do. What was her idea again? Umm... oh, right. She cleared her throat and stood up. "Well, Mr. Stark-"

"Tony's fine." he interrupted. She glared at him, nervous as she was he was not helping. She took another deep breath and started again.

"Right, Tony. Well, I believe that with all of the promotion for the Avengers working together as a team to save all of New York, not enough focus has been put on each individual Avenger. Seeing as how almost every citizen of New York City has been calling your 'humble abode' as you call it, Avengers Tower instead of Stark Tower, I believe I could reinforce the idea that before the team came together, there was a great man or woman behind each mask or name. If you'd prefer, I could focus simply on Iron Man alone and try to separate him-"

"Now I'm going to stop you right there." Tony dropped his legs and leaned forward on the desk, staring straight into her eyes as though he could peer through a window and find a woman changing her clothes inside. "You've got the right idea, but as you said, the Avengers are a team now, and no matter how much credit Iron Man gets, they will always be a team. You can not take me away from the rest of them, not only would I and the others be against that, but Fury would have your ass on a silver platter in a matter of seconds. And might I add that it is a fine ass indeed."

She blushed from her head to her toes and felt herself getting warmer despite the water still dripping off her. This was not the kind of warmth she felt when she was with Steve, this was something entirely different, and entirely uncomfortable. Was this how every girl felt around Stark? If it was, she couldn't imagine why anyone would want to sleep with him. She must be feeling it wrong... Shaking her thoughts away, and splashing some more droplets of water around his office, Tania tried to pursue her idea. She could not lose this opportunity, she could get fired from Potter Inc. for skipping today, and if she didn't get this job with Mr. Stark then she was pretty much unemployed. Crossing her fingers for luck, she began again.

"I'm not trying to isolate Iron Man from the others, you've got it all wrong, what I'm trying to do is get the history and triumphs of the great Tony Stark out there, share what he wants to be shared across the city, the state, the country, heck! Even the world! Everyone should know that Tony Stark is a menace, and that together with the rest of the Avengers, they are a force to be reckoned with. Now, I'm not doubting that the television clips of the battle with the aliens last month wasn't effective, because it was, but there are millions of people who don't have TVs, cable, or even wi-fi or internet. With me on board, I could your face on the covers of magazines, newspapers, written with smoke in the sky, flying across a banner from an airplane, have professional authors write a biography on you and sell it for the big bucks here in America while giving it out for free to countries that can't afford it."

Tony smacked his palm on the desk, his eyes alight with what appeared to be excitement. "I like it! And more importantly, I like you. You're spunky and determined and I like the way you think. Now, I don't need to be any richer than I already am, but more money for Stark Industries means more vacation time for my girlfriend, for which I would be grateful to you. Keep coming up with ideas and promises like that and you'll get promoted in no time. Just don't forget to make good on them."

Tania didn't breathe. "Does that mean...?"

Tony smirked and stood up, knocking the chair with wheels against the wall behind him as he stuck out a hand for her to shake. "Welcome to Stark Enterprises." Tania grasped his outstretched hand and shook it once, the smile threatening to break her face in half.

"Thank you! Thank you! You have no idea how much was riding on this. Thank you so much." She let go of his hand and grabbed her purse. "I guess I should get go-"

"Ah ah ah!" he waved his finger back and forth, "where do you think you're going? You start right now. Get to work."

"Wha-? Right now? But... I'm all wet."

"I'm sure no one would mind. I certainly don't and I'm pretty sure Capsicle surely doesn't." Tania blushed again.

"I mind."

"Majority rules."

"I'm technically still working for Potter Inc, I have to go tell them I quit." And oh how satisfying that would be. Still, Tony was having none of it.

"You can do it tomorrow."

"But I-"

"Jarvis!" Tony called halfway through her next excuse.

"Yes sir?" Tania jumped.

"Who's there?" she whipped around to the doorway, but no one was there. Tony chuckled and shook his head.

"That's my AI Jarvis. He's the most advanced supercomputer in the world and operates on voice command. He's kind of an ass. But I programmed him that way."

Tania was speechless. A computer... that could talk back? "You mean like Siri?"

Tony's smile fell off his face. "No. Nothing like Siri. Jarvis is MUCH better than that. For one, he's british. Two, he's got a personality of his own, he's an ass. Three, he's not just on your phone, he's everywhere. Even in my suit. Four, because I made him." he smirked again, any offense having been replaced with admiration of himself within seconds. He didn't let Tania get a word in before speaking to JARVIS yet again. "Jarvis, tell Pepper to get some dry clothes for Ms. Banks and deliver them to my office."

"Right away sir."

"I don't see how he's an ass." Tania said hesitantly. Technology like that.. was kind of creepy if she was being honest, but she wasn't about to tell Tony that. She didn't want to get fired before even starting anything.

"Oh you will, trust me. Now all we have to do is wait until Pepper shows up and you can get changed and start working."

"Don't I have to sign something?"

Tony waved the concern away. "Pepper will get you all set up. You'll be fine. But there are a few things you should know about working for me."

"And what's that?"

"Don't double cross me. You know, get your hands on information you're not supposed to have and then give it to people like Justin Hammer or Loki, not that that's possible but still. No back stabbing. Another thing you should know is that I 'don't play well with others' apparently, so if I offend you in anyway, quitting would probably be the easiest way to go though I'm telling you now it will be the biggest mistake of your life. Now, I normally don't personally interview new employees, especially not ones so low in the pyramid, but you're an exception. Partly because you intrigue me and partly because you're rather pretty. But I know that if I hire you that I won't see you around very often, still, I know that you'll do great things for my company. So if you even so much as think of getting on my bad side, and let me tell you that's a pretty easy thing to do, then Jarvis will warn me immediately. Are we clear?"

"As day."

"Perfect." As if on cue, Pepper Potts knocked on the glass door separating the office and the hallway carrying some clothes neatly folded on her arm. Tony smiled warmly at her gestured for her to come in. She did so and it occurred to Tania that the two girls were dressed rather similarly. Pepper was wearing a brown pencil skirt with a tiny slit on the side and a pink blouse with ruffles and a brown scarf with her hair in a messy bun while Tania was wearing a navy blue pencil skirt, white blouse and navy blazer with a black purse and her hair was in a low ponytail. Pepper also had an earpiece in her ear.

"Hello again," she addressed the drenched girl in the middle of the room, "I don't believe we've officially met. My name's Virginia, but everyone calls me Pepper." she stuck out a hand to shake and Tania took it in her own, properly greeting the famed CEO of Stark Industries.

"Hello Pepper. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Now come on, let's get you dressed."

"She could change right here if she feels like it." Tony offered. Pepper rolled her eyes and Tania flushed for the third time since she'd gotten there. Pepper got behind her and slightly pushed her shoulders to make her move forward, only embarrassing her further.

"No Tony, we do not treat employees like that. Especially not when said employer has a very hard working girlfriend waiting for him to get his act together and come up from his office more than once in a lifetime." Tania could tell that both Tony and Pepper were used to this kind of banter and it flowed easily between them like waves crashing on one shore to another.

"You left out mouth wateringly gorgeous."

"I can't say the same for you." With that, she led Tania through the doorway with Tony opening and closing his mouth, wanting to say something back but it was too late. It was uncommon for Pepper to get the last word, so when she did, she bore a smirk for the rest of the day and enjoyed it. Tania noticed the smirk right away and laughed.

"Nice one." she commented. Pepper treated her to a smile and handed her the clothes, now walking side by side with her instead of behind.

"Thank you, it's not often I get the best of him like that."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Oh, he can have quite the way with words when he wants to."

"I can imagine."

They continued walking in companionable silence, both of their heels clacking quietly but audibly on the carpeted floor. After a little while, Pepper started a conversation again.

"So I'm assuming you got the job?"

An ear-splitting grin crossed her face and she nodded frantically. "Yeah, I can't really believe it myself. I mean, I was just going to work like usual this morning when all of a sudden this golden opportunity shows up and I get to meet THE Tony Stark AND get a job with his company! This is like, the best day of my life!" Tania left out that meeting Steve was also a big part of why she was so happy. Pepper raised an eyebrow.

"You know Ms. Banks, Steve and I are pretty good friends, and I mean this when I say that his happiness is one of my top priorities. He seems to like you quite a bit, so if you break his heart in any way shape or form, you will have to face not only me, but Tony and the rest of the Avengers as well."

"Okay, first of all, if I can call you Pepper then you can call me Tania. But where did this talk about Steve come from? I was talking about getting a job at Stark Industries."

"Yes I know, but I don't want you to use Steve to get close to Tony. Not only will it not work, but using him is a very bad idea." She warned. Tania suddenly felt a churning feeling in her gut as they stepped into an elevator. This feeling? Yeah, it's called guilt. She knew that Steve had offered to repay her, and that simply treating her to brunch had been his idea, but still... she couldn't help but feel like Pepper was right, like she was using him. Even so, she pressed the emotions quelling inside of her to the very bottom of her core and laughed nervously.

"And why wouldn't it work?" she asked with a smile on her face, meaning she wasn't serious. She prayed that Pepper understood that.

"Because they don't get along very well. They bicker and argue constantly and are always at each other's throats. Tony calls Steve a variety of nicknames and Steve never supports anything Tony does. But I think that deep down, they have a mutual agreement to put aside their differences occasionally. That doesn't happen very often though."

"Hmm." Tania nodded in understanding. She would have to see one of these 'arguments' one day. Something told her it would be highly amusing.  
The elevator chimed and they reached floor eight, stepping into the hallway with an entirely new colour scheme of red and blue rather than red and yellow like the last one. "You can change in Thor's room, seeing as he's the only one not here. I'd allow you to change in our room, but Tony has security cameras in there and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to change in front of that."

Tania nodded again. "Thanks for the heads up. And... there's no chance of Thor coming back while I'm in there is there?"

"Only a very little."

"Right." Tania smiled nervously and was just about to go in when Pepper put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"One more thing. Once you're dressed and ready to go, meet me on the second floor in room 2P and I'll get you started." Pepper gave her an encouraging smile and a pat on the arm before striding purposefully back to the elevator. Tania turned to stare at the door that was marked_ Point Break_. Deciding that there really was nothing to worry about, she opened the door and walked in.

Immediately to the right was a ten foot tall beige wall with a window to the kitchen and a doorway a bit further into the room. A large blue couch leaned against the same wall and face a huge flat screen TV on the other side. There was a bathroom on her left and a bedroom just past the TV. Nodding in approval at the design, obviously never slept in and relatively new, Tania lay the clothes Pepper had left for her on the couch and began to change. She was halfway through when JARVIS' voice scared her half to death.

"Ms. Banks?" she jumped a foot in the air, heart racing. "Mr. Stark would like to schedule a meeting with you in the near future." That was it? THAT was all JARVIS had to say?

"You couldn't have waited until I was dressed before scaring me like that?" she asked it. In her mind, this was all crazy. She was talking to freaking computer! But then again, it talked to her first.

"No."

"Did Tony say it was urgent."

"No."

"So why couldn't you have waited?"

"I saw no need for it."

"You don't have eyes."

"The statement was metaphorical. Never try and outsmart a computer Ms. Banks, it will never work."

"Gee thanks for the advice." she retorted sarcastically, a bit peeved off at him for getting the best of her."

"You're very welcome Ms. Banks."

"You really are an ass."

"So I'm told."

Tania rolled her eyes and continued getting dressed. She grabbed her purse and her wet clothes and exited Thor's room, making sure to leave it as it was. She was now dressed in jeans and a burgundy blouse that sort of matched her hair, except it the article of clothing was more red. Her hair was more brown than anything. She had removed the elastic and let it run down the length of her back and shook it free of most of the leftover rain and wiped the makeup off her face. Luckily she carried backups in her purse, which was also just as soaked.

Making her way down the unfamiliar corridor, Tania made sure to take in all of her surroundings should she ever end up here again. She would most likely be working directly from Stark Tower so she didn't want to get lost any time soon. She found herself in the elevator repeating "Two P, Two P, Two P." Over and over again. She knew she looked and sounded incredibly stupid and was more than aware that JARVIS and probably Tony could be watching her right now, but if she was going to work here she was going to have to get over that very quickly.

When she reached the second floor, Tania searched every door for the golden letters that labeled each room or office. This hallway was unlike any other she had ever seen. The walls to every office were glass and the doors were automatic. The floor was linoleum tile and her shoes made a steady rhythm as she made her way in through a maze of sharp turns to room 2P. When she arrived, she saw Pepper speaking into her ear piece while typing frantically on the laptop in front of her, eyes scanning the screen with accuracy and speed.

As soon as Tania approached the door, it opened by itself, giving away her presence. Pepper ceased her typing and looked up, holding up a single finger as a signal to wait while she finished her phone call.

"Yes, I'm sure Mr. Stark will be very happy to hear that." Pause. "But you see, although this is Stark Industries, I am currently the CEO of-" Pause. "Yes I understand that but-" Pause. "Yes, I will do that right away." She pressed a button on the piece of technology in her ear and huffed in exasperation. She gave Tania a small smile. "I'm sorry, I've just been swamped lately, especially with all the construction that's being done to the Tower." She stood up and grabbed a stack of papers on her desk next to a perpetual motion machine and handed them to Tania. "Just fill these out and you can begin working with Drew in Marketing and Advertising just down the hall through the door labeled 2MA. Believe it or not these doors aren't labeled alphabetically, it makes it that much harder to find things around here."

"I'll bet."

"You can fill this out just across the hall in that empty office over there," she pointed a dainty finger towards the room, "and when you're done just give it back it me. Any questions?" It was obvious that Pepper was a very busy woman, and Tania didn't want to disturb her anymore than she had to. So although the brunette had tons of questions about the work environment, she was satisfied to just keep her mouth shut and shake her head. Pepper gave her another warm smile and slid back to her desk, resuming her typing as if nothing happened.

Tania didn't dwell in the quaint office with an amazing view behind the desk that she hadn't had much time to stare at before leaving for the opposite end. When she reached the empty office she plopped down in a bean bag chair and grabbed a pen from the wooden desk just next to it. She clicked it open and began to slowly fill out the dozens of sheets for employment.

Halfway through she had to keep reminding herself that it would all be worth it in the long run, but the form was just SO LONG. She felt like she would never finish it, like these forms had somehow caught the perpetual from the machine on Pepper's desk and would never end. After about an hour (give or take) of writing, Tania's wrist and fingers hurt but she was finally finished. With a victorious grin, she returned the pen to its rightful place and took the papers back to Pepper.

When the door opened this time, Pepper was so engrossed in her work on the computer that she didn't even notice the girl enter. Tania had to clear her throat to get her attention, though she really didn't want to drag her away from her work, she didn't know what to do with the application forms and such. Pepper jumped and looked up, but then she smiled and took the papers, placing them on the far corner of her desk to be looked over later.

"Thanks Tania, don't forget that you will be working with Drew in room 2MA just down the hall." She pointed in that direction without turning her head as she was still focused on the screen in front of her. "Good luck on your first day!" she wished her and then she was gone again, lost in a world of complicated problems needing fixing and organization that almost no one could handle. Tania took the hint and left silently, not even saying a word.

The trip to her new work place was shorter than she expected, probably because she was a bit more confident in the halls of the Avengers Tower than she had been when she first arrived thanks to Steve. Steve... She didn't have time to dwell on him as the door to 2MA opened to reveal a girl with long blonde hair facing away from her dressed all in black. Tania stepped inside the room, catching the attention of said blonde who turned and raised an eyebrow at her.

"So, you're the one who got Akio fired."

What? "Umm... what?"

"Before you got here, Akio had your position, but Mr. Stark fired him to make room for you." the girl reiterated. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Drew." If Tania was being honest with herself, she had been expecting a boy, but that was perfectly alright with her. They shook hands.

"I'm sorry about Akia, I didn't mean to-"

"Aki_o_, and that's alright. I know it's not your fault. Tony just isn't very bright when it comes to people. I was told you go by the name of Tania."

"That I do."

"I like your name. It's cool."

"Thank you, yours is pretty unique too."

She snorted and turned back to the long row of tables lined up in the stark white room. Tania stepped closer and stood behind one of the many black chairs surrounding the tables that were littered with papers of all different kinds with charts and graphs and calculations. This was what she familiar with, what she was good at. Drew interrupted her thoughts.

"It's only unique because it's a boy's name."

"Drew Barrymore."

"Who?"

"She's an actress."

"Oh, cool. I'll google her sometime."

"Yeah, she's in Charlie's Angels, one of my favourite movies. She's also in a whole bunch of other stuff but that one's my favourite."

"I like kid movies myself, a personal favourite of mine is Finding Nemo."

"No way! I saw that with my little brother and we both loved it! Though I have to say that my absolute number one pick has to be Harry Potter."

"I've read the books but I haven't seen the movies. Are they any good?"

"Amazing doesn't even begin to describe them."

"Well then, I guess I'll have to watch them then won't I?"

"Yes, yes you will."

The day continued on like that, the two girls getting along famously for a first encounter. They managed to get quite a bit of work done by six o'clock, when Drew yawned and decided to go home. Tania had sent her off with a wave of her hand and continued working, wanting to finish what she had started before leaving. It was an annoying little habit of hers that usually had her deprived of sleep most of the time, but it got the job done and on time.

She stayed there for several more hours, until the lights in the room automatically shut off on her and she couldn't see a thing. There was a faint buzzing to be heard, but that was all. It was kind of really creepy.

"Jarvis?" Tania called, not really knowing why.

"Yes Ms. Banks?"

"Why did the lights just turn off?"

"Employee hours are over."

"So I should leave."

"You should have left long ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was not asked."

Tania huffed, blowing her bangs away from her face. "Can you turn the lights back on so I can find my way out of here at least?"

"I am under direct order from Mr. Stark not to turn on the lights from after nine p.m. until six a.m."

"Well can't you make an exception?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Jarvis!"

"Yes Ms. Banks?"

"How am I supposed to find my way out of here?"

"Perhaps with a flashlight."

"I don't have a flashlight."

"Well you should."

"UGH!" Tania threw her arms in the air and whacked her head on the desk, groaning when pain shot through her forehead. "Ow."

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Shut up!" she ordered. The AI obediently silenced, leaving an eerie quiet in its wake. She almost wished she hadn't ordered him to shut up, just to hear someone's voice even if it was a robot. Sighing in defeat, Tania stood up and gathered her papers so that she could work on them at home. She took her wet clothes from where they were hanging on the chair beside her and left the work room and into the pitch black hallway. She fished through her purse to find her cell phone and used it as a source of light as she walked down the hallways.

Avengers Tower was pretty creepy at night, and Tania didn't want to think about all the stuff she was so unfamiliar with in such a large building. Using the golden labels as her metaphorical bread crumbs, she slowly made her way back to the elevator. Praying that not all power was cut off to the floor, she pressed the down button. It dinged and opened its doors, at which she sighed in relief. The lights were on in the small enclosed area and it was a warm welcome to the unknown of the dark. She wasn't scared per se, simply overly cautious.

She descended into the fully lit lobby and exited, hesitant to leave without a proper goodbye to Steve or Pepper, but she knew she'd be disturbing them if she went up to find them, or she would probably get lost. Either way, she decided to just leave and return the clothes the next day. At this, she smiled. She was coming back. She'd have plenty of chances to see Pepper and Steve, heck, she was meeting him for coffee the very next day.  
Just the thought of seeing him again had her smiling like an idiot. She was starting to see why all those fangirls were such big fans of the gentlemanly super hero.


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. Hey guys! I'm back with an update the very next day! Woot! Don't expect this all the time though, I'm just warning you now. I have a bunch of stuff written for this story, but infortunately I won't have access to it for a couple days so if something changes drastically in the story, that's why. :P Did any of you catch my big bang theory reference last chapter? I'll leave it up to you to find it, but don't feel obliged to go back and reread it, though that would be nice :) So I woke up yesterday to about a dozen emails involving this story and I was rather happy, though there were no reviews I'm sure I'll get some as the story progresses. Hope you enjoy the next installment of SAACSWCA! ... not a very goo acronym... eh... I'll work on it XP**

**Disclaimer - I own nothing, but there are a ton of OCs in here, I own them :P**

CHAPTER THREE

Tania woke up the next morning thinking she was going to work… but no. A smile crossed her face immediately. She was going to work _after_ having coffee with Captain America and telling her awful boss that she found a much better offer somewhere else. Oh what a satisfying day it would be.

She tossed away the covers and stretched her arms into the air, tilting her head back. She was not usually a morning person, but for some inexplicable reason (cough, Steve Rogers, cough) she couldn't bring herself to stop smiling. She got out of bed and did the usual: dressed, brushed her teeth, cleaned her face, brushed her hair, applied her makeup, checked her phone for any messages, grabbed her purse and was out the door.

She skipped breakfast on purpose this time so that she could eat with Steve, and just the thought had her walking faster. She smartly chose not to wear heels today, instead going for a nice pair of flats that matched her black pencil skirt and light blue collared blouse. Her long hair was in a braid and it bounced against her back as she quickly strode past the people on the streets of New York just outside of her building.

She had been lucky. Her apartment building was one of the very few buildings that had managed to scrape by the attack with little damage, but there was still construction on some of the floors and the elevator was out of order, possibly forever. Still, she wasn't scared out of her wits enough to leave her home away from home.

After speed walking for about ten minutes, Tania came to central park, where she had watched Loki be taken away from up high at Potter Inc. It hadn't been any more shocking than the fact aliens did exist and they were hell bent on the destruction of Earth. Still, she had been enraptured as the blue light absorbed the two gods and took them away within seconds. She watched as Bruce and Tony left for Stark Tower while Clint and Natasha drove in a completely different direction, leaving Steve to ride his motorcycle to unknown places.

At the time, Tania had scoffed and rolled her eyes. Sure, they were heroes for saving all of Manhattan and the Earth, but they were also rolling around in money and fame.

Her opinion had changed very recently… not much, but it had changed. Steve at least, seemed like a decent guy. More than decent if she was being honest with herself. Tony… well, he was self-absorbed and arrogant and probably many other things she would come to know, but he did carry that nuke on his back all the way to another dimension or other to save everyone, almost dying in the process. She had yet to meet the other Avengers, but she hoped that they would be able to prove to her that they weren't all stuck-up and expecting some kind of serious attention.

With all that in mind, Tania hailed a cab and got in, almost giddy in excitement. Her legs were bouncing up and down on the floor of the car as she told the driver where to go. When she finally reached her destination all the way across the city, she paid the man and exited the car. She was right in front of Potter Inc. like usual… except nothing about this day was going to be "usual". With a deep breath to calm her flailing nerves, she looked both ways and stepped onto the sidewalk with caution.

She remembered walking down the street with Steve just the day before, and although she had been pretty focused on Steve himself, she remembered the way to the coffee shop and to Avengers Tower. When she entered the quaint little building, her smile widened (though before that moment, she hadn't believed it to be possible) when she spotted Steve at the exact same table as yesterday.

When his eyes came to rest on her, he immediately stood up and held out his hand as if to shake hers, but then took it back and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. He coughed to cover up what appeared to be his embarrassment. Tania was just amused.

"Tania, it's… great to see you again." He offered her a smile and she returned it at full force.

"You too." She placed her new purse on the back of her chair and sat down, Steve doing the same across from her.

"So how'd it go yesterday?"

"Oh it went swimmingly!"

"Swimmingly?"  
"Yes, swimmingly. It means that it went very well."

"Ah." He nodded in understanding, "So you got the job?"

"You bet I did. I start today!"

"That's fantastic! Congratulations."

"Thank you. Right after brunch here I'm heading to my old job and telling them that I quit."

"Do you think they'll be disappointed you're leaving?"

"Pfft! I bet they'll throw a party while I'm gone."

"Why?"

"They're the kind of people who…" she scrunched her mouth to left, trying to find a way to describe her coworkers to Steve in a way that wouldn't sound like she hated their guts, "… who take life too seriously, I guess you could say. We didn't exactly get along, especially me and my boss." She whistled. "He was such a jerk. This one time, I was late to work because my little brother had to go to the hospital and he took away my Christmas bonus."

"Was your brother alright?"

"Oh yes, it was a false alarm. All I had known was that he fell off a roof. That was it. Obviously I flew into action to visit him but my boss didn't like that one bit."

"Do you mind if I come watch his face when you tell him you're working for Stark now?" They grinned at each other, but Tania laughed and shook her head.

"I don't know how he'll react to having THE Captain America, who he's a HUGE fan of by the way, by my side in 'his' office." She put air quotes around the word "his" and Steve chuckled, but conceded.

"You're probably right, I didn't want to give the guy heart attack before you get to give him your wonderful news."

"I appreciate the sentiment."

"Good."

At that very moment, a waitress came to take their orders. Having not even looked at the menu since arriving, Tania ordered the same thing she did yesterday while Steve asked her to return in a little while so he could place his order then. Tania thought that was a pretty smart move, but she shrugged it away. It was too late to do what he did anyway.

"So, I didn't see you after you ran off with Tony yesterday." Steve started, playing with his fingers nonchalantly on the table. He maintained eye contact though.

"Yeah, he told me I had to get to work A.S.A.P. so I guess you could say I was 'working' all day. I was almost stuck there when the lights went out on me."

"Oh." He looked a little disappointed, something Tania picked up on right away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked him, worry starting to settle in her stomach. It was no more than a drop, but it was still there. Their coffees arrived and they thanked the waitress as she left. Tania waited, holding the steaming cup in her hands as Steve took a tentative sip. He swallowed before starting.

"Do you remember our conversation on the walk to Stark Tower?"

"Of course."

"All of it."

"I think so."

"Do you remember me asking you if you wanted to see my… works?" he stared straight at her and Tania felt like she had been slapped with the glove of realization.

"Oh! I was supposed to…"

"Yeah."

"Oh Steve, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I can show you them some other time." He smiled at her and didn't seem upset. If anything, he seemed relieved she didn't ditch him for a really bad reason. She relaxed and held her cup up to him.

"I'd like that." She clinked her Styrofoam cup lightly against his and took a sip of the burning liquid that scalded her tongue. "Ow! Hot!"

Steve laughed and she waved the air in front of her mouth frantically, trying to create a breeze that would cool down her tongue. Once she was satisfied, she laughed nervously.

"Well that kind of ruined the moment didn't it?"

"We were having a moment?" he asked earnestly. Tania blushed and they stared into each other's eyes, meeting their gazes and not knowing what to say. Quiet country music played in the background among the idle chatter of the other customers and the sounds of coffee makers working to keep said customers happy was just background noise to the pounding of Tania's heart.

After a few seconds, the waitress returned with Tania's food and took Steve's order. The tense silence was broken as she dug into her food, avoiding his eyes. A few mouthfuls later, she decided she needed to break the awkwardness.

"So Steve," his eyes flicked back up to her from where they were staring at his hands intently, "you mentioned yesterday that you don't get out much. What exactly do you do that keeps you so occupied that you can't leave too often?"

"Well, it's not really that I'm too busy to be bothered to leave, more like…" he gazed at her face as if to see if she was worthy of his trust, then looked back down to the table, "I'm too scared to."

Tania swallowed another mouthful of her food. "What do you mean?" Captain America? Scared? Sure, she knew that everyone had their fears, even superheroes. But a fear to go outside? What kind of fear was that?

"I'm so used to… to when I'm from, that every day I wake up thinking I'll just be back where I belong, back in the forties with no cell phones or Jarvis', or Tony Starks. A lot of the time I just… I just want to go home. If I leave the Tower… it's like a reality check that this _is _my home, just… different. It's the same place, but with no one I know and barely anything that's familiar."

"But… you're here now." Tania gulped. She didn't want to be the reason Steve was leaving the Tower, the reason he was feeling so… melancholy. If he would be happier to stay inside then she would just have to visit him. She opened her mouth to suggest just that when he continued.

"Yes, and I'm not regretting it." He finally looked back into her eyes and there she could see the hurt, but she could see that it was slowly fading away. She didn't know how she could see that, maybe she couldn't, maybe she was just imagining it… but she knew that she could just _tell_ somehow… that being with her was good for him. She smiled.

"Looks like your Avenger friends were right. Getting out was good for you."

"Nah, you're good for me."

She flushed, flattered. "Well if you hadn't gotten out, you never would have met me."

"Good point."

"I always have good points. It's what makes me so convincing."

Steve chuckled. "Definitely good points." He mumbled, taking another sip of his coffee. Unbeknownst to him, Tania heard the statement and couldn't help blushing _again_. Sometimes she hated how her body betrayed her.

Steve's food arrived not too long after and they both began to eat, chatting amicably again and talking in comfortable tones. They didn't spend as much time as they had the day before because Tania actually decided to go to work that day, and so they said goodbye and went their separate ways.

Tania walked in the opposite direction of the Avengers Tower and towards Potter Inc. The wind blew lightly as the sun beat down on her tan skin, trying to make her darker than she already was. It didn't have enough time though, because she was in the building within a few minutes.

She took in the familiar surroundings for the last time: the cubicles spread out over the entire floor and every floor up until the roof, the hundreds of people in dress suits milling about with coffees and paper work, the distinct smell of fresh ink no matter where she went, and the ever so nasaly voices of her coworkers on the tenth floor, also known as the floor with the highest ceiling. Basically it was the tallest floor of the building unless you were standing on the roof.

She took the elevator to her floor and went straight to her boss' office at the very end of the hall. She didn't bother knocking and just barged in. He was speaking to another one of the men who worked there and seemed to be criticizing the poor guy. When she entered, her boss, Jim, looked up and glared at her.

"What do you want Banks?"

"I quit."

"You already missed yesterday, you think you can jus- wait what?"

"You heard me. I quit. Q-U-I-T. Quit."

"You can't quit!"

"And why not?"

"Because-"

"There is no 'because' Jimmy, I'm done, finito, finished. And you can't stop me." He spun on her heel and walked right out of there, feeling higher than any cloud in the sky in her happiness. Jim followed after her, dismissing the man he had been interrogating in favor of yelling at her.

"Quitting is not an option Banks! You'll be poor, homeless, out of a job, out of-"

"I found a new job Jim. I work for Tony Stark now."

Jim's draw dropped. "Wha-? Bu- I- I don't believe you!" he spluttered, pointing an accusing figure at her retreating back as he followed her into her cubicle where she began to pack her things.

"Well believe it bub, because my blowing you off yesterday? Yeah, that was me getting a job at Stark International, so suck it up princess and deal. I'm gone, and I started work yesterday." She turned and left with her purse almost overflowing with all of her things to dump all her paperwork in the recycling bin. Jim rushed to fish it out and shove it back at her, but she didn't hold out her arms to catch it so they all scattered to the floor.

"TANIA BANKS! YOU PICK THOSE UP RIGHT NOW!" he ordered, face red and veins bulging. Tania turned to face her boss, standing two inches taller than him even without her heels and glared at him at full force.

"You are not the boss of me anymore. Pepper Potts is. And you can bet everything you own that she will be a million times better than you ever were. I'd say it was a pleasure doing business with you, but I'd be lying, and I don't want to lie about my time here anymore. See you later alligator." She saluted him and walked purposefully into the elevator.

"HA! That is hilarious! I wish I could have seen his face!" Drew gushed, laughing her head off. She sat in a chair with wheels and was spinning around in circles while Tania sat on the table on top of all the papers, one knee propped up in a triangle with her elbow resting on it. She tried to imitate his face which only made Drew laugh harder, snorting uncontrollably. "Oh my God you are my new favourite person."

"If I'm only your new favourite person because I make you laugh, then should I be offended?"

"Nah, if anything you should be extremely grateful and flattered. Not many people get to hear me say that."

"I'm sure."

"Think we should get back to work?"

"Most definitely."

A pause.

"Wait, you're serious?"

"Yes. We _should_ get back to work." She winked.

"Ahh… I like your style." She winked back. The two did eventually get back to work, but that wasn't for a while. When they did they were like a well-oiled machine, working in perfect harmony. At around two thirty in the afternoon, there was a knock on the door, penetrating their thoughts. Drew and Tania turned to face the glass wall where two boys waved. Tanis sent Drew a confused look, but she seemed to know them.

"John! Peter!" she allowed them in and they gave hugs all around. Tania stood to the side awkwardly, that is, until Drew threw an arm around her and brought her to John and Peter. "Guys, this is our new co-worker, Tania. She's replacing Akio."

"Is that so?" The tallest of the two said, with light brown hair and matching brown eyes. Tania nodded sheepishly. The shorter one, with black hair and blue eyes, held out a hand to shake.

"I'm Peter, and that's John. Welcome to the team." He smiled at her and she felt welcomed, just as much as she felt included. She shook hands with John.

"So, you guys all work here too?"

"Of course. You didn't think it was just you and Drew by yourselves did you?"

"Well that's how it was yesterday."

"Yesterday was our day off."

"Coincidentally."

"Exactly."

"Well Peter, John, let's get back to work."

"Awesome." And so the four of them got to work, getting along perfectly. They were like long lost friends just waiting to be reunited. More and more people started to pour in, with Tania being introduced to every last one of them. There were a few people she didn't like, that mean girl Mindy being one of them. But she was lucky enough to meet Drew and the guys first, so she had plenty of new friends among her. Soon every chair at every table was full and the room was bustling with life. Plans were made much faster, presentations were presented more often, ideas were thrown out by the group, etc.

It was a very productive day, and several designs and sketches hand drawn by Tania herself were sent out to Tony and Pepper that very day. She was smart enough not to stay too late this time, and because of that she had time to finally return the clothes she had borrowed to Pepper. She went to her new boss' office and knocked before entering, seeing as the door opened by itself anyway.

Pepper was on the phone again, speaking into the earpiece with a professional tone and calm demeanor. Tania waited patiently for her to finish, staring at the view she hadn't had the time to enjoy the day before.

"… yes I know… I'm aware of that… You can't-! Look, I know that Mr. Stark… you're not letting me finish… that is against the law Mr.- Hello?"

Tania listened with interest to Pepper's one sided phone conversation, a little scared by the end of it. Pepper didn't seem to have the same worries. She simply sighed in defeat and hung up. She looked up at the brunette.

"Hello again Tania. Can I help you?"

"Um, yes. I'd like to return these." She held up the clothes but Pepper shook her head and gestured for her to take them back.

"Oh no, you keep them."

"Oh I couldn't possibly-"

"I insist! It's just another excuse to make Tony take me shopping." She winked and Tania laughed, tucking the clothes under her arm.

"Alright then, if you insist. That phone call didn't sound very friendly, should you be worried?"

"Nah, we get threats like that all the time. Very few people can actually make do on them."

"You get threatened every day?" Tania asked, shocked that Pepper could deal with something like that, Tony too.

"Not every day, just… sometimes."

"I don't know if I could deal with that."

"It's fine once you realize they don't really mean it, it's just their way of getting out their anger: making empty threats."

"Does Tony know about these?"

"No, but it's not something I need to trouble him with. They're just petty threats that don't offend me in the least."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Well alright. And I'm sorry if I'm distracting you from your work, I'll let you get back to that-"

"Don't be silly! I could use a break, I've been staring at a screen all day. Let's have some girl talk. It's been a while since I've had one of those."

"Me too." Tania sat in the chair across from Pepper eagerly. "Okay, if we're going to have some _real_ girl talk, then first things first: tell me all about Tony."

Pepper laughed. "Alright, but afterwards you have to return the favour." Before she could protest and say that she had no boyfriend to talk about, Pepper went on. "Well, Tony and I met when I applied to be his personal assistant about a decade ago. Needless to say he was very drunk and very much selfish, a lot more than he is today believe it or not.

"So he hired me based completely on my looks and my 'spunk' as he put it, kind of like how he hired you only it was more personal and with way more sexual comments. I didn't react to them, at least, not the way he wanted me to. I was his PA longer than any other one he had ever had, basically running the company for him.

"As we worked together, I got to know him well, knew what made him tick, why he did the things he did, etc. Before I knew what was happening, I started to fall for him, and as the years passed, I realized that I already had. I loved him, but I had no idea if he felt the same. We shared the occasional moment, but then it was over and I was left clueless.

"Not long ago, maybe a year tops, there was this huge attack that involved Justin Hammer, a bunch of Iron Man droids wanting destruction, and our friend Rhodey in another Iron Man suit called War Machine. So, I was at this huge stadium after the attack was over, when all the droids were about to explode after being defeated by Tony. Tony flew over and saved me just in time for the droid to explode, taking my so high into the sky that I could see Canada. Well, not really, but you get my point.

"So anyway, we landed not so smoothly on the roof of another building, and I was so extremely stressed after worrying about him and whether he was going to come home or not, that I quit. But then we started bickering and all of a sudden we met halfway in a kiss mid-sentence."

"That sounds so romantic! And something only you two would do."

"Doesn't it? So… what about you?"

"Wait wait wait! I want to know one more thing first."

"What is it?"

"How did you get your nickname?"

"Oh, well that's all on Tony. During the job interview with him, I… may have threatened him with Pepper Spray." She admitted, shrugging. Tania burst out laughing.

"Oh my gosh! How did he react to that?"

"He said, and I quote, 'Pepper spray? Really Ms. Potts? Don't tell me you threaten all your suitors with that.' And then the next thing I knew he was calling me Pepper. At first I didn't really like it, I wasn't a big fan of nicknames, I mean there aren't really any good ones for Virginia, but I found that Pepper really grew on me. It was nice, still is. Only my family members call me by my real name anymore."

"That's pretty cool."

"Okay, your turn. Spill."

"Oh… um… I don't really have a significant other in my life right now."

"Key words being: really, and right now." Pepper pointed out. Tania blushed and shook her head.

"No, that doesn't mean anything!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Tell me about ex-boyfriends then."

Tania grimaced. "I'd really rather not."

"Oh come on! There must be someone you like, someone you have a crush on… someone who has a crush on you…"

Tania only reddened further as Steve immediately came to mind. But no, she couldn't have a crush on him, they were just friends. She had only known him two days, falling in love didn't happen that fast. Steve was just… a friend.

"No. No one." Pepper looked disappointed for a second, but she brightened not three seconds later.

"Alright fine, don't tell me. But I still want to hear about you."

"Okay. Well, um, I grew up in a little town not too far from here, you've probably never heard of it though. I have a little brother named Graham, he's twenty and just started his first year at NYU. Our parents are… well, let's just say that they live in Europe right now." Tania didn't want to elaborate, it hurt too much. Pepper nodded in sympathy.

"Shall we change the subject?" she suggested gently, lowering her voice a little bit. Tania shook her head and stood up, feeling considerably less ecstatic than she had been that morning.

"Nah, I'm good. I should get going, Disney movies are always on Tuesday nights and even though I've seen all of them, it's nice to reminisce about your childhood."

"I understand completely." Pepper pushed back her chair and walked over to her, enveloping her in a hug. "When you're ready to talk, feel free to come by my office any time." She gave a comforting smile and allowed Tania to leave, feeling like she finally had someone to confide in besides her brother. She had quite a few people actually, Pepper, Drew, Steve… okay that was it really, but it was still better than nothing.

And so, the end of another day approached, and Tania had never felt like her life was starting to look up more than she had that very day. That night, she dreamt of her adventures working in Avengers Tower, and "accidental" run-ins with a certain Steve Rogers.


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. Hi everybody! Here's chapter four! Starting today though, chapters will be coming slower, but around x-mas time i should be getting some more in here. So I'd just like to thank all my guest reviewers whom I can't reply to for reviewing, it means a lot to me :D Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - I do not own the Avengers and will not own them for the remainder of the story... or ever**

CHAPTER FOUR

Tania and Steve had taken to meeting for coffee every morning before walking back to the Tower together. Tania always had the best time, talking with her new friend and learning more and more things about him, like his history and his character traits and the way his eyes sparkled when he spoke of something he was proud of. Her theory was slowly being disproven, piece by piece until it would shatter like a mirror.

Pepper had also taken to visiting her a couple times a week or the other way around. Tania and Pepper were growing closer together, overjoyed that they each had another girl to talk to after so many years of having only Tony or Graham. They had even scheduled a shopping trip for the weekend together.

On Friday, Tania, Drew, Peter, and John were working late together on a new project they had started. Tania was colouring a sketch of Iron Man furiously for the cover of the biography she was going to have someone write. Drew and Peter were Looking up professional authors on the internet and John was calling the ones they'd found to talk to them about writing Tony's life story. Chinese takeout containers littered the tables and floor and the white board was covered in messy scrawls of ideas and diagrams.

It was in this state that the room was visited by one Ms. Pepper Potts that very evening. When she entered, everyone in the room jumped.

"Ms. Potts!" Peter squeaked, rushing to clean up the garbage all around, with Drew and John doing the same while Tania tried to pile all the papers on the table into neat stacks while at the same time trying to hide all the stains. Pepper chuckled at the sight.

"Relax everyone. I'm not going to judge you on your work habits and in what environment you work best in." This didn't seem at all reassuring to any of the employees in the slightest.

"With all due respect Ms. Potts, this is rather embarrassing." Peter pointed out nervously, stuffing the leftover food into the trash bin. "Had we known you were coming, we would have cleaned up some more."

"I have no doubt about that." Everyone blushed in some form of embarrassment or other. "Ms. Banks, may I speak to you for a minute please?"

"Um, sure." Tania agreed, sending a confused look to her coworkers as she followed her boss out of the room; but Pepper didn't stop there, she kept walking until she came to the elevator before turning around and smiling warmly at Tania.

"Mr. Stark would like to arrange a meeting with you tonight at seven o'clock."

Tania was beyond confused. "Um, isn't that kind of… cheating?" They stepped into the elevator and Pepper pressed a button that the other girl didn't see.

Pepper laughed despite being in business mode. "No, especially not since I'm going to be there. He figured that since you and I are on the road to being such good friends that you and him better have a proper introduction."

"But… we already met. Professionally too, well, as professional as Tony Stark can get."

"Well yes, but he's also Tony Stark. Not everyone understands his crazy logic sometimes, so are you available Ms. Banks, or no?" Tania broke into a smile.

"Yeah, I don't have any plans tonight. Sounds like fun."

"Good, because it's currently six fifty nine."

Tania gave noise of disbelief. "Six fifty-"she was interrupted when the doors opened to reveal a lounge of some sort, with Tony sitting on the couch facing away from them. At the sound of the elevator ding, he turned around with a bottle of champagne in his hands.

"Hey! If It isn't my favourite girl and my favourite… erm…" he scrunched his eyebrows together in thought as Pepper and Tania walked in. Tania was in awe at her surroundings. The room was huge, with a couch in almost a complete circle as well as a bar with an impressive array of different types of alcohol. It was almost too rich and expansive to describe… she wasn't even going to bother trying.

"I'm not sure you should be showing favouritism Mr. Stark." Pepper plopped down next to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

"I should if it's my favourite girl."

"Aw Stark, I'm touched." Tania interjected, walking towards the couple and sitting on the other end of the white couch with a coffee table between them. She was a little scared on whether or not they'd be offended that she had interrupted their playful banter, but it appeared to be quite the opposite.

"Nice try… You know what, I can't think of a nickname for you. That's never happened to me before." Tony looked shocked, but he quickly shook the thought away. "I'll find one for you eventually. But anyway, welcome to dinner with Tony Stark." He raised both of his hands in the air and gestured around the room. "Come closer, I don't bite. Unless I'm feeling particularly possessive in bed." He winked and Tania rolled her eyes, but obeyed. "Good! Now," he popped open the bottle of champagne, "tell me about yourself."

Tania raised an eyebrow but took the offered glass. "Umm… okay. But first, do all your employees get treated like this?"

"Mm." Tony finished taking a sip of his drink and swallowed. "Nope. Just you. But you're different. You're good friends with Cap'n and milady over here. So, I want to know what makes you so… likeable that everyone around me is starting to hang out with you. So what is it? Are you some kind of lab experiment gone right? Is it some sort of perfume?" Tony leaned towards her and sniffed her. "Nope, I don't feel any different or any more attracted to you than before."

Both Tania and Pepper raised an eyebrow at that. "I have good points." Tania said, smiling upon remembering saying that very same thing to Steve earlier that week.

"Yes, I'm sure you do." Tony took a bite of the hors d'oeuvres on the table and continued talking. "But what I'm trying to figure out is what those points are."

"Don't talk with your mouthful Tony." Pepper chastised, placing her fingers under his jaw and closing it for him. Tania chuckled. They were so cute together. She observed how he stared at her lovingly with warm eyes and playful smiles. She could clearly see how much he adored her no matter how much he teased Tania and made sex jokes and stuff. She could also see how much Pepper actually respected him despite his lack of responsibility, and how much she loved him.

Tania took the time they lovers were gazing at each other to take another sip of champagne. "Hey, what's the occasion for such a fancy drink anyway?" Tony looked at her funny and Pepper burst out laughing.

"To Tony, this is not fancy in the least. If you told him how often you had alcohol he probably wouldn't believe you." Tania nodded in understanding and took a bite of the food in front of her.

"Oh, well in that case, let's have a toast." She held up her glass and Tony and Pepper raised theirs as well. "To fancy drinks!" she cheered. The pair mimicked her and they each took a gulp. When Pepper put hers down, she looked at Tania a bit oddly.

"Are you drunk already?"

"There's a good reason why I don't drink alcohol very much!" she giggled and took another bite. Tony brightened.

"This has the potential to be a very fun night."

The next morning, Tania woke up very hung over. She groaned, happy that it was Saturday. She still had to go shopping with Pepper though. Luckily it wasn't for a few more hours. Her head throbbed painfully and pounded oh so loudly. Squinting through the bright sunlight, she slowly stood up and closed her curtains. Sighing in relief, she trudged over to her night stand to see a bottle of water. At least she was partly smart when drunk.

She wrapped her hands around it and slowly brought it to her lips, relishing in the cool taste running down her throat. She wiped her forehead and realized she was sweating. She made her way to the bathroom and opened a cupboard, reaching for a bottle of pills and spilling them into the sink.

"Crap." She mumbled. She picked one up and swallowed it. Not bothering to clean up her mess, Tania walked back to her room and crawled under the covers. Then the phone rang, its shrill tone piercing the air and her mind. She scrambled to make it stop and picked it up.

"Hello?" she grumbled into it.

"Good morning." Steve's proud voice came over the speaker. Not that Tania wasn't glad he called, but she kind of just wanted some peace and quiet.

"M'morning." She sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"How are you?"

"M'fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"Ugh, hung over."

"Really?" his disbelieving tone did not make her feel better about it.

"Yes, stupid Tony Stark."

"Tony?! What happened last night? Tania?"

"Nothing Steve, stop fretting." She waved the air uselessly. "Had dinner with Tony… and Pepper. Had champagne… can't hold down alcohol… ugh."

Steve seemed to calm down some. "Oh… right. Ahem, so…" there was an awkward pause. "Um, are you okay?"

"Not really, no. How'd you even get my number?"

"Oh, uh, Pepper."

"Hm."

"Are you sure you're alright? You don't need me to-"

"I don't need you right now Steve, I'm fine. Just some water and a bit of time and I'll be fine. Is there a reason you called?"

"Yes, actually. Can you guess?" Steve sounded much happier than he did just a few seconds prior. Tania wasn't really in the mood for games though.

"I don't know, in case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of in a lot of pain right now, not to mention that I'm not exactly a morning person."

"Oh, well in case you were wondering, I'm on a cellular telephone."

"A cell phone?"

"Yes. For the first time."

"That's… great. I'm glad you're beginning to adjust to the time period. Who gave you a cell phone?"

"Actually on I'm on Tony's phone. Don't tell him though, Pepper kind of… took it. Without asking."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." She managed to give a meager smile despite her mood and the fact that he couldn't see her.

"Oh I know." Her smile widened. He trusted her. I didn't really matter that much at the moment how much, she just felt butterflies overtake her pain for a little while.

"Maybe the next time I see you, we can work on texting."

"Texting?"

"I'll explain it to you some other time, when I'm more… what's the word…?"

"Coherent?"

"Yes, coherent."

"Alright, if you need anything, anything at all! Let me know. I'm serious! Don't hesitate to-"

"Steve!"

"Yes?"

"You worry too much. This isn't my first hangover believe it or not."

"Ahem, oh okay."

"I'll talk to you later 'kay? Pepper and I are going shopping later today and I have to get ready."

"Will you be oka-?"

"Steve!"

"So… I'll see you on Monday?"

"Yeah, see you." And then she hung up. She sighed but with a smile on her face. Steve had made her feel better despite the pain her head, which she found to be much duller than before. She got out of bed and prepared for shopping with Pepper, blaming her sudden lack of pain on the medicine she took. Yeah, that was it.

She got dressed in her casual wear (jeans and a nice shirt) and took a cab to the mall, which just so happened to be really far away. By the time she got there, she was perfectly on time… but then her stomach growled in reminder that she had skipped breakfast _again_.

"Tania!" she turned around and spotted Pepper stepping out of a car and waving. There was slightly on the short side man holding the door open for her and wearing sunglasses. Pepper turned to him. "Thank you Happy."

"Anytime Pepper." He tipped his hat at her and she smiled at him. Happy closed the door behind her and got back in the driver's seat. Pepper walked over to her in some casual wear of her own. It consisted of jean shorts and a blue halter top paired with black shoes.

"Hi Tania," she greeted her with a hug, "It's nice to see you again."

"Same."

"So, where do you want to go first?"

"Um… let's go to this store. I have no idea what it's called, but it appears to be a clothing store so let's go buy you a new outfit since you gave me your last one."

"No, I insisted that you-"

"Yes I know you did, and I'm not saying I'm buying one for you, I'm not made of money, but let's just say I'm doing Tony a favour."

"Oh are you?"

"Yeah, it's one of the only things I remember from last night." Tania shrugged. Pepper's face suddenly turned apologetic and she put a hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"Oh, Tania I am so sorry. You must have woken up so hung over this morning. I should have limited your supply of-"

"I only had one glass Pepper. And you had no way of knowing." Pepper looked like she about to interrupt but Tania beat her to the punch, simply continuing on. "Don't! Besides, now that you know, it won't happen again." She smiled at her new friend who returned it.

"Alright, then let's go do some shopping!"

They two girls went from store to store, trying on several different outfits and accessories and laughing at themselves in the mirror when they looked ridiculous. They spent hours there, with Pepper buying a bigger quantity of clothes than Tania, but Tania didn't exactly have the money to shop very much. A few hours later, they settled down in the food court sipping on the last of their drinks.

"Hey Pepper," Tania called after a silence. Pepper looked up, "Can I tell you something?"

Pepper put down her smoothie. "Of course."

"Well, I'm not that big a fan of shopping." She confessed. Pepper raised her eyebrows. "I mean don't get me wrong, today was fun and all, but the actual process of buying things? I don't get why all the girls squeal and stuff over it."

"If we're being honest, I had a lot of fun too, but I see your point. For me, it's more like something to do when Tony's out there being Iron Man and I need to get my mind off of him. Work usually doesn't cut it, seeing as I'm usually in the Tower and working for Stark Enterprises almost always brings his name up in whatever I do. Sometimes, a girl just has to shop." She shrugged and Tania nodded understandingly.

"I can see that. If I had a super hero boyfriend, I'd probably worry about him going off to save the world too." Pepper was looking at her intently and Tania wasn't quite sure why, so she just kept talking, not realizing her little "slip-up" until it was too late. "I mean, he's not exactly filthy rich like yours."

"So you have someone specific in mind then? A specific superhero?" Pepper inquired, taking a final sip of her drink. Tania blushed from head to toe and wildly shook her head.

"No! Of course not!"

"I happen to know he's pretty rich."

"Who?"

"This superhero boyfriend of yours."

"I don't have a boyfriend!"

"For the record, he's got _plenty_ of money saved up from the years gone by."

"Pepper!" Tania squeaked, positively red. Pepper just smiled seemingly innocently and grabbed her shopping bags.

"Fine! We won't talk about him. But I happen to know that you two are super cute together!"

"PEPPER!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. Hi guys! Here I am with chapter 5, hope you guys like! Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - I own Tania and the other OCs... that's it.**

CHAPTER FIVE

"Why is this, the first I've heard of this?" Graham shouted into the phone so loudly that Tania actually had to remove it from her ear to avoid going deaf.

"Because I've been busy!" she answered, walking briskly in the cold morning air. She was on her way to the coffee shop again on Monday morning to see Steve, and she was walking towards the spot she usually picked up a cab.

"But this is such a huge deal! How could you not tell me?"

"Like I said, I was busy."

"Yeah, working with a bunch of super heroes! You have to get me Thor's autograph, and the Hulk's, and Iron Man's, and Captain America's… you know what? Just get me everyone's autographs and I will love you forever!"

"Aren't you _already_ supposed to love me forever? You know, being my brother and all?" she rolled her eyes as she hailed a cab and got in, pressing her phone to her shoulder as she told the driver the address.

"Pfft! Fine! Get me those signatures and you'll never have to buy me birthday or Christmas presents ever again!"

"I don't know Gray, I've only met Steve and Tony, I haven't seen the others."

"Well find them! They all live in Avengers Tower right?"

"I'm not sure. I think so, but Thor wasn't there last I checked."

"What?! Aw man, he's my favourite!"

"I know he is, and how old are you? Five?"

"Always."

"You know you could just _meet_ them, right? We live in the same city."

"… that's why you're my favourite sister!"

"I'm your _only_ sister!"

"Do you really think you could get me a meeting with them?"

"I'm not sure about all of them, and if I could it probably wouldn't be all at once, but I could probably get you to meet Iron Man and Captain America."

"Sweet! And don't think I didn't notice before how you called them by their first names. Just how close are you with them, hm?" he asked and Tania could feel her cheeks start to redden in anticipation of the direction of this conversation.

"Uh… we're just friends."

"Hesitation, huh?"

"Wha-?"

"Sounds like my big sis has got a _cru-ush_!" he sing-songed.

"Shut up! I do not!"

"Tania's got a cru-ush! Tania's got a cru-ush!"

"UGH!"

"So? Which one is it? Stark or Rogers?"

"Neither! We're all friends!"

"I don't believe you."

"Well you should because it's the truth!"

"I know you sis, I know you better than anyone. You can't hide from me, even if you're hiding from yourself."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"You like one of them… or both, but I doubt it. Tony's taken BTW, and don't think he'll sleep with you because of the whole 'playboy' thing. I heard he's totally infatuated with his girlfriend-"

"Pepper."

"You know her too?"

"Yup, we're becoming fast friends."

"Can't wait to meet her."

"Who said you were going to meet her?"

"I just did."

"Well I say you're not."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm older and I said so."

"You can't play that card on me anymore! I'm old enough that you can't boss me around AND I can make my own decisions."

"You're still never going to meet her."

"Why _no-ot_?"

"Because…"

"Ha! You don't have an answer!"

"I-!"

"I've never met one of your friends before Tania, introduce this one to me before you lose her."

"I'm not going to lose her!"

"That's what you said about-"

"Good-BYE, Graham." She hung up with a huff and stuffed her phone back in her purse. She then turned to look out the window to stare at the passing city streets and people braving the cold on a Monday morning.

Eventually, she reached her destination and wrapped her scarf around her neck a second time as she exited the cab after paying. She quickly jogged up to the café and opened the door, a little bell going off to let people know she had arrived. She spotted Steve in his usual spot and immediately smiled. She walked up to him and he stood up right away, helping her take off her coat in the surprisingly warm little restaurant and placing on the back of her chair before pulling it out for her.

Feeling extremely special, Tania sat down and waited for Steve to do the same before finally greeting him. "Hey."

"Hello."

"How are you?"

"I'm okay, and you?"

"Pretty good. I just got off the phone with my brother and he really wants to meet you. Do you think that would be okay?"

"Sure, I would be honoured." Steve smiled and Tania couldn't help reflecting it, it was like an instinct that whenever he was happy, her mood automatically brightened.

"Great! Do you think Tony would mind if I got Graham to meet him to?"

"Hm, that's a bit tougher to predict. I think he'd mind, but I don't think he'd prevent it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that he'd complain and he'd whine and act inappropriate, but essentially he'll give the kid what he wants."

"Interesting and rather accurate theory."

"How would you know if it was accurate?"

"That was very similar to my guess too."

"What was the difference?"

"More alcohol." The two shared a laugh as a waiter came and took their orders. Suddenly, Tania thought of something. "Oh! Texting!"

"What?" Steve looked genuinely confused and Tania couldn't stop the little thought of _cute!_ that popped into her mind and quickly bent her head down to search her purse for her phone.

"Texting. Over the phone on Saturday I told you that I would teach you what it was." She pulled out her cell phone and showed it to him. "This is my cell phone, and texting is when you type a message in it and send it to whoever's phone number you have. If I wanted to text Pepper, I would just find her number in my contacts and start typing a message, usually with your thumbs only because of how small the keyboards are." She brought her phone back to her and started typing out a message to Pepper.

_Hey, had fun yesterday! We should do it again sometime! Also, if u could discreetly slip in an apt 4 Tony 2 meet my brother sometime soon, that would B cool 2 :D – Tania _

She showed the screen to Steve before she sent it and he srunched up his eyebrows. "I don't understand. What are the numbers for? And what's apt?" Tania sighed, she would have a lot to teach him; but she didn't mind, not really. She tried teaching him from across the table, but eventually she just said "Screw it!" and brought her chair over to his side so that they could sit next to each other. He would look over her shoulder to see the tiny screen and his hair would tickle her face but she would try so hard not to blush or giggle but it was pretty much futile. The giggling she could hold back, the blushing not so much.

Every time they touched, Tania felt the butterflies in her stomach fly in all different directions, like they were being thrown around by a tornado… but she tried to simply focus on explaining the concept of texting and acronyms to Steve, who was understanding the gist of it. It took then entire breakfast and a little bit after that to finish the "lesson", and by then Tania was late for work.

"I have to go Steve, I'm sorry, but work-"

"Oh! You're right, of course. Come on, we can make it if we run."

"I can't run as fast as you!"

"You seemed to do just fine the day we met." They both shared a small smile at the memory of Tania pulling the captain along through the rain. She nodded.

"It looks like our roles are reversed now."

"Let's go." He grabbed her hand and they rushed out of there, after paying of course. They moved faster than jogging but they weren't full out sprinting. Perhaps they could be considered running. They ran across streets, narrowly missing being hit by cars and splashed by puddles and tripped by curbs or hit by oblivious passerby.

Well, some of them weren't so oblivious. "Oh my God it's CAPTAIN AMERICA! EEEEEEEEEEEEEH!" a girl squealed, and soon several women were on their tail. Tania quickly let go of his hand, not wanting them to get the wrong idea, and Steve pulled ahead accidentally. She was losing him and fast. She could see the Tower up ahead, it wasn't too far. She willed her legs to faster and pumped them as hard as she could, staying in front of the fans and behind the super hero himself. He turned to look at her with a sad expression on his face before they reached the doors just in time for the girls behind them to be stopped by JARVIS. Tania had never been so thankful for the AI.

"I knew this would happen eventually, I just didn't think there would be so many!"

Panting profusely, Tania checked her watch. "Still one minute… to spare." She wheezed, grabbed her knees and trying to catch her breath, ignoring the odd and unfamiliar feeling in her chest. Steve, being the super soldier he was, was not tired in the least and was looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?" he hovered around her, unsure of what to do. She nodded and moved over to the bench and sat on it.

"I'll… be okay. You can… go now." Steve looked very hesitant to leave, but she shooed him away, making frantic waving hand gestures at him to go his separate way. When she was sure he was gone, she made her way to 2MA. By the time she got there, she was just on time and had caught her breath. Drew, Peter, John, Mindy, and several others were already there – but not everyone.

"Tania! You made it!" Drew greeted her with a grin. Tania nodded at her and set her purse down in her chair, which had been decided would be facing the window.

"I did. And how are you all this morning?" A chorus of "good" 's and "fine" 's filled the room. She nodded again and walked up to Drew, giving the girl a hug hello. "Fantastic!" And so they all got to work. There was no real leader in their rather large group (which it was, it was bigger than the Avengers), so Tania had taken it upon herself to become leader of sorts. There had been no complaints so she hadn't backed down, and so it would seem that she would remain in that position for a while.

Well, hopefully that awful Mindy wouldn't do anything too diabolical… she didn't seem to like Tania very much, but it appeared to be a quiet and unspoken type of hatred, so she wasn't going to call her out or anything. What was there to call her out for? Not liking someone? She didn't like Mindy either, so the feeling was mutual. No big deal.

They worked diligently all day, until Tania got a text from Pepper.

_Me too J There is now a "free space" for Tony lunch on Fri. deal? – Pepper Potts_

Tania smiled and typed back.

_Deal. –Tania _

The next day, Tania and Steve were back at the coffee shop, enjoying their food, coffee, and conversations as usual, when Steve's face randomly lit up mid-sentence… which was odd since he was walking about Tony.

"Uh… Steve?" Tania called, confused. Steve shone his bright smile at her and threw a fifty on the table before taking her hand and rushing her out of there. "Steve? What's going on?" he didn't answer, they simply kept jogging towards Avengers Tower, hands still clasped as if nothing could ever break them apart.

Tania was wearing heels that day, unfortunately, so it was just her luck that she managed to hit the pavement wrong and have her ankle twist to the left as she came crashing down on her hand and knees, the other hand being tugged by Steve who only just stopped moving. Tania hissed in pain but didn't say anything. Steve though, didn't appear as if he would shut up.

"Tania! Oh my gosh, are you alright?" he knelt down next to her, "What happened? I'm sorry, I should have taken into account the serum and not pulled you so fast, and I'm sorry for not telling you where we were going, I just wanted to-"

"Steve! Stop! Geez, you're smothering me." She gave him a smile and – seeing that she was okay – he smiled back with a little less enthusiasm.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"You're a worry wart."

"Wha-?" Steve's cheeks began to turn pink ever so slightly and Tania just so happened to notice. _Looks like I'm not the only one… His is just harder to come by. I have a new goal in life._

"Don't deny it! This is the like the third time you've gone crazy over your concern for me and I've only known you like two weeks."

"Well I can't help it if you're always in danger." He shot back, with little to no venom. She rolled her eyes. He was going to have to do better than that.

"I've only been in this much 'danger' since I met you."

"So you're either saying one of two things. One: I'm a super hero and knowing me is always a danger because it follows me wherever I go. Or two: You're very flustered and clumsy around me." He held up two fingers and she flushed so hard you'd think she was a tomato.

"I- The first one!" she shouted a little too quickly, a little too loudly. Steve chuckled, seeming a little disappointed.

"Right." There was an awkward silence as they sat there, on the sidewalk of New York City, staring into each other's eyes and probably getting lost along the way. The sound of a car honking right as it passed them was the only thing to jolt the two out of their little stupor. Tania had physically jumped closer to Steve, who had instinctually done the same. An awkward silence ensued.

Tania was getting rather cold sitting on the hard ground, so she coughed and stood up, dusting herself off afterwards. Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jacket, Tania looked away from the super hero next to her and started walking. Steve followed, rubbing the back of his neck and blushing pink again. Because Steve had been in such a rush to get to the Tower, Tania was actually pretty early for work, which was probably his intention. When they got there, Steve finally broke the silence.

"Tania, I want to show you something." With the tension magically disappearing, Tania looked him in the eyes for the first time since she had gotten up and grinned.

"Okay.

The captain looked like he was going to reach for her hand before thinking better of it and just gestured for her to follow him to the elevator. Tania's face sank just a tiny bit… but if anyone ever pointed it out she would deny it. Steve pressed the button for the fifth floor and the two simply waited in silence that was a bit more comfortable than before, but not much. It was good to know that it wouldn't affect their friendship though, seeing as how they were still together.

When the doors opened, Tania quickly realized that this was _his_ floor. Pepper had explained to her that each Avenger had their own floor, with the red head sharing Tony's. _This_… was Steve's floor. They passed a room with a door that read _Capsicle_ in gold lettering and she didn't get it at first, but then she had to cover her mouth to prevent from laughing too hard. Steve turned and gave her a questioning look but she just shook her head. Deciding it better not to ask, Steve continued on until they reached the end of the hallway and an unlabelled door. It wasn't automatic, like all of the other doors in the Tower. Instead, Steve opened it by hand by turning a solid gold knob and held it open for her. Tania walked in and gasped.

There was a very high and small window just below the ceiling across the room, and the light from the morning sun shone through it and hit each painting and sketch perfectly. She felt like she was in an art gallery. She walked in further, examining each work of art and shrugging off her coat, now warm from being inside. Steve immediately took it from her gently and hung it on a coat rack near the entrance. Tania was in awe of the master piece she was seeing.

Steve seemed very pleased with himself and her reaction, and he stared at her, waiting for something to be said. But she didn't say anything. She just moved from painting to painting, from sketch to sketch, from easel to easel, and she reached out as if to touch it, but then stopped. It was a sketch… but it could hardly be called a sketch. It was a drawing, a beautiful drawing, of the coffee shop; of _their_ coffee shop. It was as if he had sat in front of it for hours and simply drawn every detail into the paper. She could even see their outlines sitting at the table close to the window – _their _table.

Her heart swelled and she felt like it was in her throat, preventing her from speaking. It was amazing. It was so much better than anything she could have ever come up with, so much better than anything she could ever have created. And there were so many artworks, hung on walls, on easels, leaning against tables and pieces of furniture, everywhere. It was so… so… magnificent. She was at a loss for words and she could feel her tear ducts starting to work. She swallowed and shoved them back, squeezing her eyelids shut. Without turning to face the artist behind her, she spoke.

"It's beautiful." She whispered, turning so that the window was behind her and shone light against her silhouette as she stared at him, and he stared back.

"Sure is." He whispered back, seeming in awe as well. That was when she spotted an unfinished drawing, one of a girl in a military uniform. It was black and white, only from the shoulders up. There was no face. She could see he had tried to complete it from the just barely visible eraser lines trying to draw her nose, but there were no facial features.

"Who's this?"

Steve shook his head clear of thoughts. "What?"

"This." She nodded her head in the direction of the drawing and Steve's eyes portrayed a sadness she had never seen before.

"That's Peggy." Her heart clenched. He had told her about Peggy, about how amazing and wonderful she was, about how tough and utterly perfect she was for him. She knew the girl was dead, and that Steve had never actually danced with her. Or dated her, for that matter. But she knew they had kissed, and just that one thought had her shoulders slumping. She wasn't really the jealous type. She was more resigned to her fate than anything.

"Ah." She choked out, trying desperately to hide her tears. She had yet to spill, but she knew that if she didn't leave soon, they'd fall without her knowing. She also knew that she left abruptly; he knew something would be wrong. She decided to stick it out a little bit longer. "Why isn't it finished?" Why had she asked that question? Of _all_ questions?

"I… don't know. I've tried to, but I can't… I can't bring myself to do it. I've tried drawing her nose, but nothing seemed right. Like I couldn't capture her very essence in this measly piece of paper, so I shouldn't bother trying. I gave up on it a little while ago."

"But you didn't give up drawing all together." She turned to face the sketch of the coffee shop. He smiled and walked over so that they were standing almost shoulder to shoulder without touching.

"Nah. I could draw before Peggy, I can draw after." The fact that he was so open about this to her both touched and hurt her. It meant that he was comfortable enough to pretty much tell her anything, but that he was totally oblivious to her feelings, no matter what they were. Couldn't he tell she was at least sad? She could barely decipher her own feelings long enough to figure out the exact reason _why_ she was sad, but not talking about the fantastic Peggy might have helped. She needed to get out of there, she needed to clear her head, she needed someone to talk to, someone she could confide in about her feelings without the person knowing the person she was talking about.

She needed Graham; and he wouldn't be here for another two days. She had only gotten off the phone with him yesterday, it would seem silly to call him. But if she didn't and he found out about it later, he would tell her that she could always call him, no matter what.

Decision made, all Tania needed was a way out. Despite the beauty of all the art around her, it was all so…_ Steve_. There was too much of him, too much of his past, his history, his personality in every little thing. She was feeling a little overwhelmed, not to mention the fact that the real thing was standing right there, just a few inches away, staring at the picture of them as if criticizing it. She gulped. She wasn't ready, not for this. It was too soon, she felt like she'd been hit with a truck of feelings that were rolling over her like crashing tsunamis and she was quickly drowning in them. She needed to leave, the sooner the better.

"Steve…" she choked out, barely able to say his name without breaking down. He looked up at her, noticing for the first time her emotions displayed clearly on her face. She was upset.

"Tania? What's wrong?" he was calm and took a step towards her, as if to reach out and cup her cheek. But no, she couldn't handle anymore of him – not right now.

"I… I have to… to work. I… thank you. Thank you for showing me… this. It's… it's beautiful, really." She attempted a smile, she really did, but it was a very sad smile no matter how hard she tried. Steve looked a little broken, except the truth was that it was the other way around. She felt like _she_ was the one who needed fixing. She turned to leave when he grabbed her by the elbow, not forcefully, but gently. There was a small silence.

"You're welcome." And then she was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Hey guys! No, I haven't forgotten about this story. Sorry it's taken me this long, but it's finally here! Hope you guys enjoy, and make sure to read the entire chapter before judging anyone :P**

**Disclaimer - Do I even have to type anything? Just look at my profile and you'll see that i DO NOT own the Avengers, Marvel does.**

CHAPTER SIX

"Graham? Graham I need you." Tania spoke shakily into the phone, her hands vibrating with tremors she was trying to control, and failing miserably at. "Please pick up, I need to talk to you." She waited. He didn't pick up. "Please." She sobbed, covering her mouth to try and muffle the sound.  
She was hiding, and it wasn't a very good hiding spot. She was crouching in a closet in Thor's room, begging that he wouldn't suddenly and randomly come back. She needed to speak to her brother really badly, but he had let it go to voicemail. Giving up, she pressed the "end" button and finally let her sobs overtake her. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks after being held in for so long. She had lasted about five minutes like that, swallowing her noises and pushing back her tears. But now she was free to cry as messily as she pleased without the harsh opinions of others to hold her back. She cried, sniffled, sobbed, whined, and thrashed; all because of these… feelings she was having, feelings she couldn`t control or decipher or figure out.

She and Steve were friends, friends who trusted each other immensely, well, he trusted her. She wasn`t so sure about the other way around. She did trust him on some level, she just wasn't sure if it was as much as he did her. He told her everything, he held no secrets from her, and yet she refused to talk about her past, about her problems, about… well, anything pretty much.

And Peggy. She could never match Peggy, could never surpass her. She would always be number one in Steve's life no matter if she was dead or alive and Tania couldn't compete with that. But why would she? Why was she comparing herself to the woman?

"She was the closest friend I had ever had." She remembered Steve saying. She was his new friend, his new person to trust – and she was totally wrong for the job. She didn't tell him anything, she didn't do anything with him besides get coffee, and if she did it was because he suggested it, not her. She would never be as tough as Peggy, or as confidant. Sure, she seemed like it, but on the inside she was just an insecure girl who pushed people away, well, everyone but Graham.

He was like her rock, her rock that she looked after physically, while he looked after her emotionally. He could console her like no one else could, throwing an arm around her shoulder and telling her jokes and stories from their past that the two of them shared. He always made her laugh, made her feel better, helped her to forget. No one would ever know her like he did, not even Pepper. But maybe… she could confide in her. She was honest, and kind, and generous, and a girl. Tania could use a friend who was a girl.

Of course, there was Drew, but Tania didn't really feel a connection with her, it was like she and Pepper just clicked automatically, like they had a mutual agreement left unsaid that they would understand each other.

Graham wasn't available right now, Drew was most likely with Peter and the rest of them, and probably Mindy too. Steve was out of the question. Don't ask her why, he just was. Pepper was all that was left. But Pepper was so busy. She had abandoned her work for her before, but Tania didn't want to get her behind. Who could she turn to? Who could she vent to? She could find someone random that she didn't know, but she didn't think she would be able to build up the courage to reveal so much to a complete stranger. No.

There was Tony, but he didn't really seem like the comforting type. Plus, the last time she had seen him, she had been drunk and he'd probably hold whatever she'd inevitably done over her head. Pepper seemed to be her only option. But Tania didn't like that option. Perhaps when the red head wasn't so busy, she would confide in her. But not now, not like this.

Tania wiped her face furiously and stood up, swallowing her hiccups and exiting the closet. She made her way to the bathroom and reapplied her makeup. When she deemed herself presentable, she left Thor's room and entered the elevator down the hall.

When she stepped in, JARVIS startled her to death. "Ms. Banks, Mr. Rogers requests your presence in the lounge." Tania closed her eyes and took a deep breath, not willing to let her emotions get the best of her yet again that day.

"Tell him I'm busy." There was a small pause as the elevator dinged and Tania walked out onto the second floor.

"He says that if you don't go up, he'll come down."

"Tell him to respect my privacy!" she snapped.

"He says to see him again at some point today."

"Tell him I'll see him tomorrow at the coffee shop, final offer."

"He says 'fine'."

"Good."

She continued on her way to work. She had to pass Pepper's office to get there. She took a peek inside, just to see if she was busy or not. She appeared more swamped than ever before. She was surrounded by stacks of papers of all different heights and she was typing furiously on two different computers, alternating every few seconds or so. She was speaking into her earpiece with ferocity and taking breaks from typing to sign some papers whenever she could; placing them into different piles.

Tania was suddenly glad she hadn't bothered her. She kept going until she was past it and right in front of the door to her work. Taking a deep breath, she walked in and prepared herself for the onslaught of questions.

But there weren't any. Work carried on as usual, nothing out of the ordinary. Tania couldn't decide if she was relieved or disappointed that no one noticed her puffy eyes or sad demeanor. She ended up with relieved, though a part of her had wished that Drew had noticed, so that she would have an excuse to tell someone about it. But no.

The next day came faster than she would have liked, and she knew she had to face Steve again. She had promised. And so she braced herself for his extreme worry and marched into the coffee shop. But he wasn't there. Instead, their table sat occupied by another couple, laughing and smiling at each other. Tania felt the lump start to rise again but she swallowed it. Pushing past their table, she made her way to the counter and ordered a coffee.

"Would you like food with that Miss?"

"No." she wasn't in the mood for food. Her stomach was twisting and tying itself into complicated knots that she feared would never come undone. The day before she had pushed him away, now she needed him more than ever. Keeping him out had made her feel awful, guilty, but worst of all, needy. She didn't want to need him. She needed to make amends, that had to be it. She needed to fix what she had with Steve and go back to small talk and blushes and natural smiles.

Her coffee arrived and she nodded at the man behind the counter and paid him. Turning around, she realized that she couldn't sit in her usual spot and looked around. The restaurant wasn't very busy, so she sat down on one of the couches forming a square around the fireplace. She positioned herself so that she could see everyone who walked through the door and began to sip her drink. Minutes passed, after an hour of waiting, Tania gave up. She dumped her cup in the trash and left with frozen tears.

She managed to get to work without letting any of them show, without letting anyone know she had ever cried over him. Over a boy. No, Tania Banks does NOT cry over boys. But unfortunately, both Pepper and Tony were in the lobby when she entered. Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh CRAP!

Sneaking by wasn't an option. Not greeting them wasn't an option either. She would just have to brave them and hopefully shake them off before she exploded. Perhaps the "I'm going to be late for work, no time to talk" would work...

"Tania!" Tony called, finally noticing her after she was halfway through the room. She forced a tight smile onto her face.

"G'morning Mr. Stark."

"What happened to Tony?"

"He was eaten by a crocodile."

"Haha." he wasn't laughing. Pepper was though.

"Nice one."

"Thank you."

"Are you alright?" the redhead asked, suddenly concerned. Tania suddenly felt very nervous. She prayed she wasn't sweating, that would seem very abnormal considering the temperature outside.

"Of course."

"Are you sure? You seem... fake, today."

"What do you mean?" she pretended to feel offended.

"Like that. You're not really offended, which means I must be right. What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!" she said too quickly. Pepper and Tony raised an eyebrow each in almost perfect sync. Had she not been so sad, Tania would have laughed.

"Doesn't sound like nothing to me." Tony pointed out. Tania swore inside her head.

"Well, it is." she tried to get past them but Pepper managed to grab her arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To work. I'm going to be late."

"No you're not. I'm Tony Stark, and I say you will not be late if you showed up sometime next week. Now spill."

"What do you care?" she spat, suddenly defensive. These people had no right to force information out of her, especially if she didn't want to 'spill'.

"You're my employee and-"

"Don't give me that crap!" that was it. Dam: broken. Bubble: burst. Mood? Everything. "You don't care about me! None of you do! I'm just some random girl who works for you!"

It was Pepper who spoke next. "I thought we made it very clear that you are more-"

"No I'm not! I'm just someone expendable you think you can use and then throw away!"

"Okay, where is this coming from?" Pepper asked, starting to worry for her friend. "What happened? Just yesterday-"

"Yesterday we were on good terms!" Okay, so maybe she was talking about Steve and taking all of her anger out on her boss, BAD BAD BAD IDEA. Still, she couldn't find a way to make herself shut up, so she just pushed past them - and kept talking. "Yesterday we were fine! But then I had to go and mess things up and now I might never get to fix what we have and it would be all my fault because I got a little hormonal!" She was suddenly whipped around to face Pepper, and Pepper alone. Tania was sobbing so much that she almost couldn't talk anymore. Pepper grabbed her shoulders.

"Tania! What. Happened?"

She still couldn't stop sobbing. Stupid Steve. Stupid testing of her stupid theory. Stupid, stupid, stupid... "Steve..." Had that been out loud? Oh crap.

"Steve? What about him? If he broke your heart I'll have Tony unleash fury on him. Both ways." Okay, Tania was confused. What other way could someone unleash fury? Realizing her mistake, Pepper blanched. "Which I know nothing about." Now she was beyond confused. "Nevermind. What did Steve do?"

Deciding to ignore her confusion, Tania took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Steve... coffee shop... he wasn't there. He said he would be..."

"Is there anything else?" Tania debated telling her about the art gallery, but no. It was too personal, something she felt she couldn't share. But maybe Steve deserved to have his secrets revealed. Still, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Yes, but..."

Pepper nodded. "I understand. We can talk about it some other time. But I think I know a way to make you feel better." she turned to face the end of the hallway they had come from. "Tony?"

The genius billionaire not-a-playboy-anymore philanthropist popped his head around the corner. "You called?"

"Can you please tell us where Steve is?"

"Capsicle? Why?" he took one look at Tania's red and puffy face and frowned. "What did he do?"

"Just tell us."

"SHIELD sent him on a mission across town."

Oh. Oh. Steve hadn't purposely missed their little rendez-vous, he was forced to be a hero. Well, okay, he probably wasn't forced. But still, she had little doubt that he would have missed their meeting for anything less important. She felt kind of stupid now, crying over something that seemed so small now. Blowing up in her boss' face... oh. Uh oh.

"I'm sorry." she attempted a laugh and wiped at her face with her sleeve. Pepper handed her a tissue from her pocket and Tania took it gratefully.

"Thanks. Um, I'll just get back to work now."

"Woah, hold on!" Tony interrupted, preventing her from leaving. "No one answered my question. What did he do?"

"We were just supposed to meet for coffee that's all. But I guess now I know he was a little busy being Captain America." she attempted a smile.

"Well... if he ever does piss you off, no matter the reason, I'll go all Iron Man on his ass." he placed both hands behind his head in a stretching motion and puffed his chest, the glor of the arc reactor shining through his shirt. Pepper nodded in agreement.

"The other way around though..."

"Just remember that you work here, and whose name is on this building."

"Right. Got it. And the Tower says A."

"Which stands for Anthony Edward Stark."

Tania rolled her eyes. "It's the Avengers Tower Tony, deal with it."

"Note to self, Pepper write this down. Fix letters on Tower and Tania is upset if she addresses you by your last name."

"Wha-?"

"It's tru-ue!" he sing-songed. Pepper typed his words in her phone and Tania groaned.

"You sound like my brother." Pepper suddenly looked up from her typing and shook her head violently. Tony didn't appear to notice, but Tania did. She immediately stopped talking.

"How old is he?" Tony asked.

Before she could answer, Pepper interrupted her. "Tony, we have to let her get to work. Her problems have been solved and you have papers to sign and people to apologize to."

"For what?"

"For missing all your appointments yesterday... again. They want a formal and verbal apology from you..." boyfriend and girlfriend began to walk away, but not without waving goodbye to Tania. The brunette waved back and took another deep breath. She wiped her face one last time and turned to head towards 2MA. It was only once she'd gotten there, dropped her purse on the chair, looked inside her purse for a pen, and spotted her phone that she realized she had a text that had been sent about an hour and a half ago.

_Sorry - Steve_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Hey y'all! Here's chapter 7! Here's where the plot ****_really_**** begins. In my opinion anyway. I've got this all planned out, but I don't have anything planned for chapter 8 specifically so that may take longer to update. Plus it's the holidays so I'm going to be kind of busy. So yeah, hope you enjoy :D And I've been getting at least 2 reviews per chapter and it always puts a smile on my face to read your reviews. They're all so positive! So thanks to everyone and let's keep 'em comin'. :P Happy Holidays!**

**Disclaimer - Not even for a split second have I ever owned, do i own, or ever will own the Avengers or anything you see here that is familiar. Tania, Graham, Drew, Peter, John, Mindy, Jim, Randy, any and all names I have made up and mentioned in this story are my OCs. Yes, that means I own them. I also own this plot line. Other than that, nothing. Wow, that was a pretty long disclaimer, and I'm only making this longer by stating that... on with the story!**

CHAPTER SEVEN

Thursday came faster than Tania would have ever thought. She'd spent the entirety of Wednesday thinking about this. She thought about how Graham was going to meet both Tony and Steve and probably Pepper too. People she knew from work were going to meet her brother… her two lives were mixing together and already she could tell that it was going to be the weirdest feeling ever. What was most surprising of all was that she was letting it all happen. She was letting Graham meet her bosses and new friends. She was letting her bosses and new friends meet her brother. That was something that had never happened before.

Sure, Graham had met a couple of her previous friends, but that was back in college one or two years prior. That hadn't worked out well. And now… he was meeting Steve, and Pepper, and Tony. And she was shockingly okay with that… not one hundred percent, she was nervous as hell, but she wasn't totally opposed to it.

And now it was Thursday. How did that happen? Oh yeah, the sun went down, and then it came up. Really, really fast. … In her opinion, anyway. So on Thursday morning, Tania woke up to her cell phone's ringtone of Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Bublé. Yawning, she reached over to her night stand and unplugged her phone. She unlocked the screen.

_I cant make it this morning im sorry again – Steve_

She sighed. At least she wouldn't be stuck at the coffee shop alone again. Maybe she could text him back before he went on some heroic mission and wouldn't have access to a phone.

_Don't b. Not your fault. Will u b the Tower l8er? My bro's coming –Tania_

It took a while – Tania suspected he was still struggling with the letters on the tiny keyboard and punctuation and acronyms and what not – but after changing and going through her morning routine, she received an answer.

_I will be there I promise – Steve_

She couldn't help but smile as she sat at her vanity and tied her hair in an up-do that looked like a messy bun, but also had that appearance of professionalism. She stuffed her phone in her purse and made her way to the outside.

Once in the cab, she almost made the driver stop at the coffee shop, but reminded herself not to at the last second. Almost an hour later she arrived at Avengers Tower. She took a moment to admire the towering skyscraper and its architecture. It was a beautiful building really. Sure, there were still modifications and repairs being made, but that was okay. The essence was still the same.

Taking a deep breath, Tania walked into the building that had changed her life. But if she really thought about it, the building had nothing to do with it. Sure, she had spent hours gazing upon the very Tower from her apartment window, wishing she'd had the chance to do something bigger with her life, better. But that wouldn't have meant squat had Steve not rammed into her in the street that day.

Why was he in such a rush anyway? Once he'd made sure she was alright, he didn't seem to be running anymore. She'd have to ask him about that later. A future conversation starter, she guessed. All morning she thought about what she would say to him. How she would introduce him to her brother. How she would get him and Tony to get along in the same room long enough to give her brother the meeting he deserves. Most importantly, how not to get Graham to say something embarrassing.

That was a tough one. Blackmailing always came back to bite her in the ass, so she refused to do so. Bribing usually worked, but she'd need something HUGE to get him to watch his mouth around his heroes. A meeting with Thor maybe? Could she promise that? She'd have to talk to Pepper and find out. The God had an entire freaking floor in this Tower, why would that be built if he wasn't coming back?

The morning went by agonizingly slowly. Every time Tania checked her phone for the time, she realized it had only been five minutes since the last time she checked, and her intervals between checking were only getting smaller. She tried to focus on her work, but she found she couldn't calculate percentages and make graphs and charts at the moment, which was odd seeing as how she was really good at that. She needed to draw. She started sketching ideas for billboards and magazine covers, but drawing reminded her of Steve, and that didn't help her focus any more. Her pictures ended up having Captain America somewhere in them, even if it wasn't blatantly obvious at first, he was always there, in the back of her mind.

Not having the heart to throw her drawings away, she tucked them into a folder to deal with later and resumed checking her phone every few seconds. Hours later, JARVIS came over the intercom, startling the workers half to death.

"Ms. Banks? There is a visitor for you in the lobby." He stated in that computerized deadpan of his. Tania smiled nervously. Her legs had started shaking but she tensed them to prevent movement and started grabbing her things.

"Thank you Jarvis."

"You're welcome Ms. Banks."

Everyone was staring at her as if she'd gone crazy. She stared back. "What?" No one moved a muscle, they just gaped at her. She had grabbed all her things and was now just waiting for a response. "Seriously, what? Do I have something on my back, like, what?"

Drew finally spoke up. "You- you just talked to a voice that came out of thin air as if it was normal!" Oh. They had never heard JARVIS before… awkward.

"Yeah, that voice is a computer named Jarvis, created by Tony Stark himself that runs all throughout this building. He's kind of like a butler of sorts. He's kind of an ass though." They would not stop STARING. She clicked her tongue. "You get used to it." Still staring. "Well bye!" she turned and left as fast as her heels could take her.

It took her a few minutes, but she finally made it to the lobby where her brother stood flirting with one of the female workers. Tania rolled her eyes and made her way over there, her shoes clacking against the smooth floor announcing her entrance. Graham turned to her and smiled. She found herself returning it and walking faster. He met her with a giant bear hug.

"Tani! It's so great to see you!"

"Likewise." She laughed. "Now put me down!"

He complied. He was like, six foot two, so he was pretty damn tall. He was also rather built and had light brown hair and the same brown eyes as herself. They looked alike in many ways, though they differed quite severely in personalities and height. She was only about five foot seven and three quarters.

"How long has it been?" she asked, craning her neck to look at him.

"Only about a month when we got together for my birthday."

"Oh yeah!"

"I'd keep this brother-sister banter going, but I'm too excited about meeting the Avengers!" On the last word he struck a super cheesy super hero pose which warded off the worker he'd been talking to as if he'd just made her smell his pits. Tania laughed and tugged his arm towards the elevator.

"Come on, they're this way. And you're only going to meet two of them."

"I know, but still. They're part of the Avengers!" he struck the same pose.

"Okay stop that before you embarrass me!" she said through giggles. Graham shook his head and returned to his regular stance.

"Nope. I haven't made you laugh like this in a long time. I'm going to keep doing it. Plus it'll be fun to see you blush in front of the two super heroes of which I think you have a crush on one."

Tania immediately turned red. "I do not!" she whined just as the elevator doors opened to reveal Steve, Tony, and Pepper. All three heads turned to stare at her and she flushed even more. Graham just burst out laughing and patted her head.

"Sure you do sis. Just watch as I try and figure it out." He continued, stepping into the room as if it were still just the two of them. Tania followed him out and into the lounge that had been mostly repaired from Loki's dent in the floor and Tony being thrown out the window.

"There's nothing to figure out!"

"Are you sure?" He tried to raise his eyebrow but he ended up looking rather stupid seeing as both of them went up and then he tried to lower one but it didn't work out so well. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on. Let me introduce you guys." She said, finally acknowledging the others in the room. Graham turned around and started beaming and bouncing on his feet.

"Nope. I can't wait that long." He marched up to Tony and started shaking his hand almost violently. "Hi. You probably don't know who I am, but I know who you are. I'm Graham Banks and I'm super glad to meet you."

Once he let go of Tony's hand, the billionaire flexed it reflexively. Graham moved onto Steve as Tony leaned over to Pepper and whispered in her ear, "Super glad?".

"And you're Captain America! Oh my God! I have all of your comics and I've read them all at least thrice." He was a little kid in a candy, toy, and stuff-adults-tell-you-not-to-touch-but-here-you-can store. Even Steve had to look up at the massive brother.

"Thrice?"

"Yeah! Three times."

"Oh."

"Yeah!"

Tania decided now would be a good time to interject. "Please excuse my brother, he has no manners whatsoever and especially not when it concerns his heroes." She elbowed her brother in the stomach. "I don't believe you've met everybody." She said between her teeth. Graham whipped his head around to look for more Avengers, but seeing as there weren't any, he only caught sight of Pepper and- Oh. There was a look of realization on his face as he walked up to Pepper and shook her hand, but not hard whatsoever. Pepper looked pretty amused.

"Hi! You must be Pepper Potts. CEO of Stark Industries. I admire how you can run your company with everything that goes in in life." Pepper raised her eyebrows and Tony narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. Tania opened her mouth to speak again.

"Okay, I take it back. He has manners, he just forgets them very, very often."

"Hey!"

"Don't you have an autograph book to get signed or something?"

"Duh! I wouldn't forget this for the world!" he whipped out a pad, two different colour pens, and a Captain America comic book from the book bag he had been carrying and handed them to Steve first, with the blue pen. "This is my favourite issue of all time and I would be so honoured if you'd sign it for me. Please!" Steve also looked amused, if a bit intimidated, but he signed the comic book and notepad none the less.

"It was great to meet Tania's brother. She talks about you, I hope you know that."

Graham turned to his sister, who was slowly starting to turn pink. It was obvious that Graham was piecing together the fact that she and Steve talk frequently, and also trying to find out which one he thinks she likes. "Does she now?"

"Yes." Even Steve could tell he'd somehow said too much, even though only sentence to the boy had escaped his mouth. He didn't elaborate and instead sent Graham off to Tony who had his arm around Pepper's waist.

"Iron Man is my second favourite super hero of all time! And I just wanted to say that I think you're aweso-"

"Okay hold it right there." Tony paused mid-signature and Graham looked heartbroken. Tania's smile fell off her face and Steve even started to frown. Pepper was chastising Tony with her gaze, but the genius ignored all of that and pointed the gold pen at Graham's chest. "I'm your second favourite super hero?"

Graham, ever the oblivious one, nodded frantically and answered with what might have been the worst answer in history, in Tony's opinion anyway. "Only to Thor. He's SUPER awesome."

The room was silent for all of two seconds, anticipating Tony's reaction. "And why Thor?" he was surprisingly calm about this. Tania and Steve shared a panicked look, as did Tania and Pepper, and Pepper and Steve. Basically, everyone was panicked except for Tony and Graham.

"Because he's a GOD with mystical powers over Thunder and Lightning and he comes from another world and he talks like Shakespeare!"

"He really likes Shakespeare, believe it or not." Tania blurted, hoping to ease the tension in the room. Steve looked to her and she caught his gaze.

"Do you?"

"Yes." She admitted, blushing a bit. Luckily, Graham didn't seem to notice this. He did however, notice their little exchange. No one else knew that, though.

"I can do Shakespeare!" Tony claimed. Pepper's eyes widened.

"Honey, maybe now's not really the time to-"

"Nah." Graham interrupted. "That's different. He speaks to people like they did back in the olden days, and if you said Shakespeare, you'd probably be reciting something written by someone else. Thor doesn't need to do that. Now would you please just sign my notepad?"

Tonyy huffed and signed it begrudgingly, but he didn't say anything else on the matter. Everyone blew a sigh of relief. After that, conversation seemed to flow naturally and they all took their places on the furniture. Tony and Pepper shared a love seat with his arm always around her, and Tania, Graham, and Steve took the sectional across from them, with Graham in the between. Needless to say, Tania was both disappointed and relieved.

She and Steve hadn't spoken since she left him in tears except for texts and when he asked her if she liked Shakespeare as well. The issue between them still wasn't resolved, and the painful reminder in the pit of her stomach wouldn't let her forget. She needed to fix this, but she also needed to give her brother what he wanted, because despite how much he got on her nerves, she treated him every once in a while, and he did the same.

There was one time he had ripped her away from work and taken her to see a Harry Potter Movie Marathon Extravaganza! Thrown by one of his friends' friends' sister. That had been awesome…

The voice of Graham penetrated her thoughts and she came crashing back down to Earth, where all the tension was. "I can't believe you really work here! I mean, not only is it home to the freaking Avengers-" no pose this time, thank God, "-but it's all the way across town! It must take you hours to get here every morning! What time do you wake up? Like, six in the morning?"

"Five, actually." Steve was staring at her incredulously behind Graham's back (literally) and Graham's jaw was almost literally on the floor.

"Woah, serious? How do you do that and stay awake during the day? Your job is so boring!"

Tania laughed nervously, not liking the spotlight very much at this specific point in time. "It is not! Especially not now. But I'm kind of used to it." She shrugged. Tony nodded in agreement.

"Finally! Someone who understands that people can get on just fine without sleep."

"You passed out cold in your Iron Man suit on a mission and almost got yourself killed." Pepper deadpanned, clearly unhappy. Tony shrugged.

"For a period of time." Pepper rolled her eyes.

"I get sleep every night…" Graham narrowed his eyes at his sister, "Okay fine, _most_ nights, and I get along just fine. It's not like I go days, or even weeks without sleep." Pepper stared pointedly at her boyfriend, who smartly avoided her gaze.

"I wish I could say the same for Tony. He gets so caught up with tinkering in his man cave that he stays down there for days at a time, sometimes even a week or more if Happy, Rhodey, and I are all not there."

Tania furrowed her eyebrows. "Isn't Happy your chauffeur?" she asked, remembering the time she and Pepper had gone to the mall.

Tony shook his head as Pepper nodded hers. "Well, he's more of a friend than our chauffeur, but he does drive us places." She smiled and everyone chuckled on cue. "But back on topic, I never knew you lived so far away."

"Well, yeah. But my other work was only about a ten minute walk from Stark Tower, so it's not much of a stretch."

"You shouldn't have to drive that far."

"I bet taxi drivers are making you pay hundreds of dollars a month to come all the way here." Graham pointed out with a frown. "No wonder you're so behind on your bills."

"Graham!" Tania exclaimed, "I am not behind on my bills."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm NOT!"

"Yes you ARE!"

"GUYS!"

"WHAT?" Tania and Graham chorused, turning to face Tony, who had interrupted their little squabble. Both were red in the face, with both embarrassment and anger.

"There's an easy fix to this."

"And what's that?" Tania inquired.

"Just move in." Silence. Say what now?

"I beg your pardon?" Tania said, turning her ear towards Tony to hear clearly. Steve and Graham seemed just as surprised as she was, but was most shocking of all was that Pepper looked it as well. Tony ignored all the looks he was being given and plowed on.

"You heard me. Move into the Tower. It's not like I don't have room. Plus, you and Capsicle over there can bond some more. And despite the fact that the fluffiness you two radiate when together sickens me to the core of my arc reactor, I saw Stars 'n' Spangles actually using a cell phone the other day, and texting. Obviously you're having some kind of impact on him and if he gets more used to the modern world he'll probably work better on missions, know his way around more, and know how to work the comms we give him as well as when we change his his shield around without telling him."

"You did what-?" Steve tried to interrupt but Tony kept going.

"So really, I'm doing the world a favour by doing this. Plus, Pepper could use a friend who's a girl. All those men are driving me crazy from overdose of testosterone." And the craziest thing was, he said all this with a straight face.

Pepper looked exasperated. "Those 'men' are Happy and Rhodey, your two best friends."

"Exactly. I don't share."

"I'm sure they both have other friends of their own."

"No, not them. You."

"But you just said I should have a girl friend."

"Yeah, but she's a girl. So there's no way I can get jealous."

"Tony-"

"This discussion is over."

"Oh no, that was only twelve percent of this discussion."

Tony threw his head back on the couch and gave a groan. "Are you still on that? Because I was just kidding when I said that. Seriously. You can have the fifteen percent."

"Fifty."

"Sixteen."

"Fifty."

"Twenty-five."

"Fifty."

"Thirty."

"Fifty."

"Forty-five, final offer."

"… fifty."

"Deal."

"Thank you."

"Seal it with a kiss?"

"Sure, where's your helmet?" **(1)**

As they continued their little banter, Steve blinked without comprehension. He leaned towards Graham and Tania and whispered, "What just happened?"

Tania was the one who answered. "I think they're consummating their love in their own special way." Steve blushed redder than Tania had ever seen, and she smirked at being able to do that to him after the other way around so many times. Graham eyed the two of them speculatively.

"So, are you moving into the Tower?" Tony suddenly turned to face his employee, obviously trying to change the subject and escape the wrath of his girlfriend. The red head slapped him lightly on the arm but didn't say anything more. Tony visibly relaxed – after rubbing his arm and pouting.

"I… I don't know." Tania answered honestly. Steve immediately turned to her.

"You should!"

The brunette bit her lip. "I'm not so sure I should, I mean, the only other people living here are the Avengers and Pepper. I mean, this is the Avengers Tower."

"No it's not." Tony interjected.

"What?"

"This is Stark Tower." Pepper, Tania, and Graham rolled their eyes.

"Get over it Tony. The Avengers all live here. There's a giant A on the front of your Tower. Everyone calls it that. Face it. It's the Avengers Tower." Pepper tried to convince him, but to no avail.

"Fine. I'll build another Tower specifically for the Avengers in Florida. It's nice there, they'll love it."

"I'd prefer to stay here, actually." Steve pointed out.

"Why? So you and Miss… Damn it. I still don't have a nickname for you. Whatever, so you and Tania can frolic in the sunsets together?" Said people blushed together in harmony.

"No-" he tried to protest, which almost broke Tania's heart – for unexplained reasons – but Tony didn't let him get farther than one syllabol.

"Don't even try to deny it. Every time you two see each other it's like a unicorn threw up smiley faces and rainbows. It's disgusting." He shuddered.

"I KNEW there was something going on between you two!" Graham exclaimed, wagging his finger at Tania and Steve, who were both hot pink.

"Graham! We're just friends!" Tania said exasperatedly.

Her brother shook his head violently back and forth. "No! Look how heart-broken he looks now that you friend-zoned him. No guy ever wants to be friend-zoned."

Tony nodded in agreement. "It's true."

"I'm unfamiliar with the term." Steve admitted, furrowing his eyebrows. Graham opened his mouth to explain when Tania slapped her hand over it (rather hard) and beat him to the punch.

"It's nothing Steve, don't worry about it. Don't listen to anything this nimrod tells you. Or that one either." She nodded her head in Tony's direction, getting a resounding, "Hey!". " 'Hey' is for horses." She tugged her brother's arm. "Okay, I think it's time we leave." She pulled him to his feet, but Steve stood up as well.

"Wait!" they both paused. "I, uh, I need to talk to you." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, addressing Tania.

"We can talk tomorrow at the coffee shop."

"Same time?" they both shared a smile.

"Same place."

"Sickening!"

"Shut up Tony!" they chorused, then blushed together.

"I rest my case." Pepper slapped her boyfriend's arm again. "Ow! That's gonna bruise."

"Oh I'm sorry, did you want me to kiss it better?"

"Only if you slap me somewhere else…"

Tania, Steve, and even Graham cringed. "Okay! That's our cue to leave! Thank you for taking time out of your day to meet my little brother and-"

"Excuse me! I'm not little!"

"But I'm older-"

"Well I'm taller-"

"-than you and that counts way more than-"

"-and there's no way I could be considered-"

"-height. Age always takes precedence over-"

"-little by any means. You always play this card-"

"-how tall you are, no matter the situation or-"

"-and it gets on my nerves ALL THE TIME and-"

"GUYS!"

"WHAT?"

"Leave my lounge already."

"Kay."

**(1) If this part confuses you, look up the alternate opening to Iron Man 2 on youtube.**

**A/N Does Tania move into Stark Tower? Was the topic diverted on purpose by Pepper? Will Steve and Tania ever realize their feelings for each other? Are you going to pull your hair out waiting for them to? Is this story every going to get interesting? Stay tuned! I'll give you a hint, Yes to that last one XP**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Hiya guys! Sorry for the late update, I've been rather busy with the holidays and what not. So here's chapter eight. I had a bit of writer's block with this one so I hope it's not too bad. I also don't know if you can make a graph the way Tania does it but for fiction's sake let's just say she can :P Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - Why am I still putting these up? Habit I guess. I DON'T OWN THE AVENGERS!**

CHAPTER EIGHT

"I can't _believe_ you embarrassed me like that!" Tania accused, tossing her purse on her desk chair and plopping on the couch in her apartment. Graham closed the door behind them with his foot and defended himself.

"Oh come on! You've had worse."

"Yeah, and I'd rather not go through that again!"

"You didn't! This was more mild."

"UGH!"

"Aw, sis, don't be angry! One day you'll thank me!" he sat down on the couch next to her but she just pushed herself to her feet and stomped over to her bedroom and slammed the door behind her. Graham threw his head back in frustration. "Tani…" he whined.

"Don't call me that!"

"It's not that bad!"

The door opened to reveal an absolutely seething Tania, who just so happened to be red as blood rushed to her face. "Not that bad? _Not that BAD_? You accused us of having an affair!"

"I did not!" before she could respond with a 'did too!', he kept going. "I accused you of liking each other! There is nothing wrong with that!"

"You also acted like a complete _child _in front of my bosses!"

"That's just how I am! Tony said most of the embarrassing stuff!"

"You contributed!"

"And you blushed! That's reason enough to do it again!"

"Graham!"

"I can also finally say I made Captain America blush! Who else can say that?"

"Who else can say they sit at a coffee shop with Captain America every day either?" Silence. Wait… oh crap.

"Wait what?"

"Nothing." She closed the door again, praying he'd leave.

"What was that? Did you say you have coffee dates every. Single. Day?"

"I did not!"

"That seems to be your answer for everything these days."

"Well it's not!"

"Game, set, and match."

"Shut up!"

"No!"

"Now who's answering with the negative?"

"Still you!"

"Is no- I mean, you still embarrassed me!"

"Tania-"

"Get out of my apartment!"

"It's not that big a deal-"

"It's a big deal to me!"

"Look, I'm sorry! Okay? I'm sorry that making you blush is so much fun. I'm sorry that your bosses aka _friends_ have met me and seen me for who I am. I'm sorry that you think I'm so embarrassing to you, and that you think the way I act is something to hide. I'm not sorry that I acted the way I did, nor am I sorry that I brought to attention to your little 'relationship' because you're too freaking oblivious to notice it yourself. I'm your brother, and I want to see you happy. I want to see you smile and laugh and do something other than work, work, work. This is such a great opportunity for you not because Stark Enterprises is such a big company, but because the Captain could change your life forever with the way he looks at you… he looks at you as if… as if, if he lost you… he'd have nothing to live for."

The silence hung extremely heavily in the living room, sinking into a deep moment of calm thinking and reflecting. Graham had apologized: a rare occurrence. And he'd brought to light something that really could change her life… and for the better, too. Did Steve really look at her like that? More importantly, did he feel that way about her? Her stomach felt like it was getting squeezed on all sides and she didn't know what to do. Was the room spinning? She slid against the door and hit the ground rather roughly, leaning her back against it.

"Tania?" Graham's worried voice came through the door. The doorknob jiggled but she had locked it before. "Tania? Answer me! Please tell me you didn't faint!"

"I-I'm fine."

"What's happening?"

"I just… nothing. Nothing's happening."

"Tania… let me in." he pleaded, placing his palm against the door, his other hand resting on the knob. The eldest sibling pressed her lips together in thought. After a few seconds, she wordlessly unlocked the door and moved over to the bed, sitting on the edge and curling into a ball. Graham entered silently and sat down next to her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and rubbing her arm soothingly. "I'm sorry." He repeated.

Tania sniffled and wiped the stray tears that had somehow escaped. "Not your fault. You were born a pain." Graham chuckled and lightly shoved her shoulder.

"Just like you were born a boring shtick."

"Drawing isn't boring!" she countered, naming something that she did that could be considered 'not work'.

"Yeah it is!"

"Without drawing, you wouldn't have any of your precious comic books." Graham opened and closed his mouth, thinking of something to say but apparently coming up empty. "Ha!" She stuck a finger in his face and stuck her tongue out at him, trying to lighten the mood and distract herself from thoughts of a certain blonde haired hero of hers. Wait, no! Just a blonde hero, not hers. Because he didn't belong to her. And she didn't consider it that way either. Nope!

"Fine, you win this one." The youngest sibling raised his hands in defeat and Tania smiled lightly. "But to get back to serious topics-" Tania groaned, "No, no. It must be done. Geez, I'm not usually the responsible one, when did our roles reverse?" he gave her a cocky smile, but before she could response in a hopeful tactic of changing the subject, he started talking again. "But seriously, you should choose. It doesn't have to be now, but soon would be nice."

"Choose what?"

"If you're going to continue living here or not."

"Oh." She'd almost completely forgotten about that part, too busy thinking about her feelings for Steve… or lack thereof. But she was happy enough to push that aside for another day, anything to avoid that… _feeling_ in her stomach area that was churning and making her feel like she had to sit down for hours and just think. But that could wait, it could all wait. Okay, maybe not all of it. She would tackle her decisions one at a time. Starting with whether or not she would move into Avengers Tower. That was a good place to start. Of course, it might affect the whole "unicorns-throwing-up-smiley-faces-and-rainbows" thing… but she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

"I… don't know." She answered honestly, shrugging her shoulders and looking away. What could she do, really? It _would_ save her a lot of money with taxis, and stuff like that. She'd be closer to Pepper and- um, the other Avengers. She'd probably be able to get Graham to meet the others; speaking of which... she turned to face him. "Gray, I'm sorry. I'm not ashamed of you, if anything I'm so incredibly _proud_ of you and how much you've accomplished in the years. You're you and I wouldn't change you for anything. I know you'd rather avoid the whole mushy thing, but I love you."

"Yeah, yeah, love you too." He rolled his eyes and she smiled, a real one. She really did lover her brother to bits. Some said she was a bit over protective of him, but that was to be expected right? She was his sister, his older one no less. Not to mention his only one. Her thoughts were soon interrupted again when he spoke, bringing her back to Earth as if she had gone bungee jumping and had just bounced back up. "Okay, so let's help you make a decision. We can make a list of pros and cons, and I'll help."

Tania played with the ring on her finger nervously, twisting it around and around her finger before realizing what she was doing and stopped. "Alright." She nodded and got up to fetch a pad and pencil. She returned to the bed and sat up against the headboard, patting the spot next to her for Graham to sit. He did so.

"Okay, so let's start with cons." She suggested, because of course she needed to know the bad stuff first. It was just the ways she was. "It's a completely new environment and I'd be living with several strangers-"

"Super heroes." He corrected.

"Super hero strangers." She reiterated. He rolled his eyes as she scribbled it down in point form. "It would also be super awkward, and I would be borrowing Tony's- well, his everything basically. Even his girlfriend when we hang out again."

"So you admit she's your friend."

"Shut up."

"Nope. Okay let's see, cons… nope. Can't think of any."

"I can. I would forever be in Tony's debt, especially if he's letting me stay there without paying rent, or paying water expenses, or electricity expenses, or-"

"Tani, he's filthy rich. I don't think you'll be in his 'debt'."

"Still."

"Okay, we'll do pros now."

"Fine."

"Well, for one thing you'll be closer to all your new friends, you can suck up to your bosses, you can have coffee with the Captain whenever you want, you get to live with the _Avengers!_" Cue embarrassing pose. Sigh, okay, _sometimes_ she was embarrassed by him. But she wasn't about to tell him that, not right now. "You'll save money, you're closer to my school, you'll be trying something new, etc."

"Wow, okay, um, let me see if I got all that. Close to friends, suck up to Tony, coffee, save money, closer to you, change of scenery?"

"Yup, that sounds about right." They both decided to leave out the fact that she neglected to mention the fact that one of the pros wasn't just coffee, but coffee with Captain America. "So? Made your decision yet?"

She started playing with her ring again. "I don't know. I don't feel like this helped."

"Oh come on! The pros totally outweigh the cons! What else is there to think about?"

"Maybe if I made a graph-?"

"Colour coded I bet."

"Shut it!"

"Ooh! Defensive about her math!" he taunted.

"You know it. Now get back to school. Don't you have a class to start soon?"

"Don't you have a lunch break to get over with?"

"Don't you have a lunch to eat?"

"Don't you?"

"… let's have lunch."

"Yeah."

They ate their food rather fast, seeing as Tania had to get back to work ASAP and Graham's next class started in about an hour. When they went their separate ways after a loving but ruined by teasing hug, they climbed into different taxi cabs and went on their way. The notepad was tucked safely into Tania's purse, burning a hole through the leather and attracting her attention no matter how deeply buried beneath her miscellaneous things.

When she got back to the Tower, she did everything in her power to avoid any and all Avengers and Pepper as she made her way to work at a brisk pace. She met up with Drew and eyed John and Mindy flirting with each other across the room, but she had her own things to worry about right now. When nobody was looking, she started making the colour coded graph of pros and cons and factored in all these numbers and by the end of the day her brain was an absolute mess and when she looked up, she was all alone. What time was it?

She checked her phone, 9:59pm. Oh shoot. She grabbed all her stuff in a haste and ran for the door. It was a race against time as she pushed herself to go faster before she was encased in darkness once again. "Jarvis!" she called as she got into the elevator.

"Yes, Ms. Banks?"

"Don't let the lights turn off until I leave!"

"I'm afraid I cannot override direct orders from Mr. Stark."

"Please Jarvis! It's just for a few seconds!"

"No."

The lights went out. "Oh come on!" the doors opened and she walked fast, but didn't run. She was klutzy enough as it was, she didn't need to prove it by hurting herself in the dark. She prayed no one else was in the lobby as she spotted the big doors in front of her. She thought she saw a flash of red at the corner of her eye but she ignored it and pressed forward, bursting out the building and inhaling a breath of fresh New York air. She was safe. Well, as safe as you could be in a city that had just barely survived an alien attack last month.

She had a lot to think about that night. And a lot to say the next morning.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Hi guys! I have NOT abandoned this story and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to upload, I'm just super busy lately. Expect faster updates come February though. :) So here's the next chapter that you've all been waiting for, and I hope you enjoy it :D It's pretty long, just saying.**

**Disclaimer - Okay seriously, I should stop putting these up here, because I DON'T OWN THE AVENGERS. I own Tania and all my OCs as well as Potter Inc because I made it up.**

CHAPTER NINE

The coffee shop seemed to be looming over her, towering ominously - despite the sunny weather - like her nerves as she stared up at it, standing just outside the entrance. Her stomach was twirling to the beat of her heart as if performing an interpretive dance. She'd made a decision last night. A big one. Her chart had been left at home, leaning against the wall with its ostentatious results. And now she had to tell everyone. _Everyone_.

She inhaled deeply, the smell of coffee lingering in the air around her, before grabbing the cool metal handle of the door and opening it, ringing the quaint little bell as she stepped inside. The fragrance immediately grew stronger as she stepped inside, bringing in a bit of chill from the outside world within. Flashes of the drawing Steve had sketched kept popping up in her mind – and she didn't want them to stop. The feeling of warmth that grew each time one came up was different than anything else she had ever felt…

But she didn't have the time to ponder that thought, because Steve was staring straight at her, and he couldn't hide the expectations in his gaze. She gulped, praying she was making the right decision. Determined not to let her anxiety show, she smiled softly at him and sat in her usual spot.

"Hey."

"Hey."

There was an awkward silence. Tania began twisting her ring under the table. Finally, she decided to break the silence. "Um, it feels like forever since I've seen you. But it was just yesterday."

"Yeah." More silence. _Note to self: That.. was an AWFUL conversation starter._ "Tania, I'm really sorry about missing out on our da- ahem, I mean, um… meeting." _A meeting?! Is _that _what the kids are calling it these days? Wait… calling what? Okay, I see where he's coming from._ "But I was called in for a mission and absolutely could not skip it. I hope you can forgive me."

"Done." Did that sound too eager? Too clingy? She scrambled to fix whatever mistake she had made, whether or not she had even made one. "Well, after you get me coffee."

"You got it." He raised his arm to flag down a waiter when Tania stopped him, placing a hand on his –freaking HUGE- bicep.

"Not here." He looked shocked, then perplexed, then sad. "In Avengers Tower, in my new kitchen." She winked and realization dawned on the Captain. In a second his face split into a blinding smile and he stood up, pulling her into a hug. She was surprised to say the least, but she wrapped her arms around his back and hugged him to her, relishing in the moment as her eyelids fluttered closed. But it was a hug, a friendly one at that, and they don't last forever. They broke apart and his infuriating scent disappeared along with it.

Something changed then, and Tania felt an overwhelming… _need_ to be with him, to not leave his side. She didn't want to be clingy though, so she forced her body to keep its distance from his as they left the little restaurant together, with Steve holding the door for her of course. When they got outside, she had the sudden urge to grab his hand, but she resisted. _What's going on with me? It wasn't always like this… was it?_ Her mind was a jumble of thoughts about _feelings_ and other crap like that, so she shook them free and engaged in conversation far away from anything emotional – well, she hoped.

"So, what was the mission about?" she asked as they started for the Tower at a leisurely pace. Steve shrugged, placing his hands in the pocket of his brown jacket in the process.

"Not much. It would probably bore you."

"I can't imagine something so urgent that you couldn't leave could be boring."

"Well, it was kind of clean up duty in the city. I volunteered to help with the heavy lifting." He shifted his gaze to the buildings they passed and the cars that passed them. "The original crisis was a bank robbery. There were hostages. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it in the news." He gave her a side long glance and she blushed. Why hadn't she thought of that? "I managed to get everyone out safely but the entire bank blew up. Kind of ironic how being a hero can cause so much destruction."

Tania nodded her head agreement. "Totally, but imagine if you hadn't shown up. The building might have blown up with the civilians still inside."

That put a smile on his face, no matter how small. "Yeah. But I guess I can't help but wonder.." he only paused for a short amount of time, but Tania already knew what he was going to say.

"What would have happened had you not been frozen in time?"

"Yeah, and not just back in my time, but this one too. Would the Avengers have ever happened? Would Bruce have turned into the Hulk? Would Tony have turned out the way he did? Would Loki still have invaded?"

"Well, I for one, am glad you're here. Please don't misunderstand me, I wish you'd never gotten frozen and had to go through what you did, but I'm happier now that you're here. You're the first friend I've had in a while. Also, the Avengers wouldn't have happened, Tony might not have fallen for Pepper or the other way around, and Loki… okay, I don't know about him. But I do know that I would never have gotten such an amazing job or an amazing friend." She smiled dazzlingly at him and he mirrored it, feeling his spirits lift as if her mere presence could make him happy.

"Thanks Tania. That means a lot to me." And there she goes, blushing again. She cursed the day blushing was ever invented. Except blushing wasn't something someone like Tony could just _invent_ in a lab or something, it was just a reaction that her body made (however involuntarily). She cursed it anyway.

"Um, you're welcome."

"I'm glad that I met you too." And suddenly her entire spirit lifted off the ground all the way up to cloud nine.

"Phew. That's a relief." They shared a laugh together as they walked towards the monument plastered with the letter A. Tony had yet to fix it, which was probably symbolic for his loyalties towards the Avengers… or something along those lines.

"So what made you decide to live with us?" Tania's cheeks only turned darker as she stared at the cement beneath her feet. Just the way he phrased it… she was going to be living with him. It sounded like a big step couples took before marriage, but Steve and her were nowhere near that stage, and she didn't plan on ever getting there. But maybe- "I mean, in all honesty, I can't really see the appeal."

She gawked at him, all thought bubbles metaphorically popped. "Are you serious? It's the biggest tower in the… okay, so I don't know how big it is, but I know it's HUGE. And it's got its own butler, neighbors without having to actually leave the building, my work is right downstairs, I get a whole floor to myself, hopefully a beautiful view, no more bills for rent, expensive furniture and… expensive everything! It's like a dream come true!"

Steve shrugged. "I guess."

_And I get to see you every day._ She almost added – almost. "But the best part will probably have to be the privacy. Not to mention that I bet all the rooms are sound proof."

"Not all. Only the bedrooms."

"Oh, darn. So if an explosion goes if in the lab…?"

"The whole building shakes like an earth quake going off."

"I have a feeling you speak from experience."

"I do."

"Not of the earth quake thing, the explosion thing."

"Yeah, I know."

"Good."

"I also know that if you get lost, Jarvis is absolutely _no_ help."

"Well, seeing as it's a freaking huge tower, I'm bound to get lost. What do suggest I do to prevent that?"

"I suggest hiring a tour guide. Pepper was mine. She was everyone's pretty much."

"So you know the whole building now?"

"Most of it. I know what's on each floor and stuff, but I don't know anything about the labs or anyone else's floors or anything like that."

"Well, do you think that _you_ could be my… you know, tour guide?" she started blushing even more, staring at his face for some kind of reaction. He looked her straight in the eyes and said-

"It would be my pleasure." And then he dazzled her with a smile. They entered Avengers Tower where Tony stood, waiting impatiently as he tapped his foot on the ground.

"Finally! You're late!"

"I am not! If anything, I'm early."

"Fine. You're late by my standards. Better?"

"No."

Tony rolled his eyes at Tania's triumphant smirk, but he soon got the upper hand. "I have been sitting here waiting for you just to see what your decision would be."

"Technically, you're standing."

"You don't think I know that technique?"

"What technique?"

"You changed the subject."

"Well it's true."

"Your answer?'

"To what question?" Steve chuckled as Tony sighed exasperatedly.

"Now I know how Pepper feels," he muttered under his breath, "stop being difficult and just tell me. I have arrangements to make."

"First, answer me this. Did Pepper make you stand guard for me?"

"… maybe."

"Thought so. There was no way you'd do this of your own free will."

"Oh, so one drunken night together and all of a sudden you're an expert on all things me?" he sent her a sexy wink and Steve frowned. Tania ignored both.

"Anyway, yes, I'm moving into Avengers Tower."

"Stark Tower, or you're fired."

"I'm what?!"

"He doesn't mean it, it's just the way he works." Steve reassured her, "but you still might want to listen. He won't fire you, but he'll do something bad."

"Fine. I'm moving into Stark Tower."

Tony grinned. "Perfect! I'll show you to your floor."

"Actually, I'd like some breakfast first if you don't mind. If you could lead me to the kitchen, that would be great." Tania asked, readjusting the purse on her shoulder as Tony eyed her and Steve and how close they stood together.

"Nah, Capsicle can show you. I have to hire the moving trucks."

"Moving trucks?! Tony, I can move all my stuff by myself-"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'll have them at your apartment in half an hour."

"Tony!" Tania didn't like the idea of having a bunch of strange men in her house handling her things. The very idea was unsettling. But Tony was a very stubborn man. "Maybe we can find a compromise?" she suggested. Tony scratched his chin.

"Interesting. Speak away."

"I'll pack all my stuff into boxes and then you can hire the guys to move them to the Tower."

He nodded. "Sounds good. Take the day off and pack. And then tonight, we celebrate!"

Tania blinked. "Celebrate what?"

"You moving in! All the Avengers will be there and I'll introduce you to all of them. Pepper, of course, will be there and-"

"And nothing. I don't want anyone else here. And since we're celebrating _me_ moving in, it's technically _my_ party, right?"

Tony made a buzzer noise with his mouth. "_Ehhhhhhhhnn_ wrong." He stepped forward and tapped her nose. "The person the party is for _never_ throws the party. It's always someone else who plans it for them, that someone being me." He pointed at himself with his thumb. "So be here tonight at eight o'clock sharp and prepare to be amazed!"

"Fine, but don't invite anyone besides the Avengers and Pepper. It's just a small party, got it?" she turned to Steve before Tony could answer, "And I'm trusting you not to let me have too many drinks. No more than half a glass, got it?" Steve nodded with a determined look on his face, almost reminding her of a kid who was desperate to make his parents proud.

"Don't worry, I'll look after you." He promised.

"And he always will," Tony chimed in, "up until the day you get married, in which case he'll slack off and be lazy and all together pretty annoying to deal with. I'm safe because I'm already all that and Pepper's still with me." His mood seemed to brighten from oddly cheery to happy at the mention of his girlfriend. Tania and Steve both blushed furiously.

"That will never happen." Steve said, careful with his choice of words. Tania knew she was probably reading too much into it, but she couldn't help but think, _What did he mean by that? Did he mean that he will never marry me or that he will never slack off and be lazy with me?_

"Well, I'll call the trucks and have them at your apartment in two hours." Tony stated, whipping out a state of the art cell phone and typing in a number.

"Wait, how do you know my address?" Tania asked. Tony turned to her, phone pressed against his ear as it rang.

"It was in the application."

Of course, her application for the job. She had given all of her personal information on there. She had no idea that Tony had actually gone through it and memorized her address… oh, wait. He was pulling out her application form.

"Why do you have that in your pocket?"

"I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to resist living with me." He told her just before his phone beeped. "Hi, this is Tony Stark. I'm gonna need four-"

"Two." She interrupted. He sent her a glance.

"-two of your best and biggest trucks with your best and biggest guys."

_Best and biggest guys? _She mouthed to Steve, who didn't seem too pleased for some reason, but shrugged his shoulders in response to her question. When Tony hung up the phone a couple minutes later, he turned back to the couple (of friends) waiting patiently.

"All set. Remember: eight o'clock, the lounge. Be there or be square rooted." He turned and walked away, leaving a puzzled Tania and Steve behind.

"What does that even mean?" she asked him. The Captain shrugged again.

"I'm probably the worst person you could ask for that sort of thing."

"Well, I guess it's all the way back to the apartment." She sighed. It was going to be a _long_ morning. "I'll have to double check if I have enough money for the trip back in my wallet. Do you think you could spot me?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I'll give you a ride." She stared incredulously at him. It had never occurred to her that he might have a car.

"Oh. Are you sure? It's quite a long drive."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. Come on, it's parked 'round back." He led her out the front doors again and they began to walk around the building. "I should probably warn you now though, it's not exactly a 'car'."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't really know how to drive the kinds of cars you have these days, plus I'm pretty sure my license expired a long time ago." She laughed and he joined her, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"So what is it?"

"Ummm…"

And that's when she saw it. A motorcycle. Captain America rode a motorcycle. This was something she had not been expecting. Steve just seemed so… _good_ for lack of a better word, and motorcycle stereo typically had such a "bad boy" vibe about them… it was kind of… hot.

"Oh." Was all she could say as Steve walked towards it and started prepping it for the drive. He handed her a helmet after putting on his own and answered her unasked question.

"I always keep a spare. You never know." She nodded and put it on her head. She was going to have an awful hair day after this, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was suddenly glad she had opted not to wear a skirt that day, instead going for trousers paired with a matching blazer and red blouse. _That_ would have been awkward…

She swung her leg over the seat behind Steve and shrugged her purse to her elbow as she wrapped her arms around his torso, reddening like a tomato. She inhaled his scent (that cannot be described for it is something you have to personally experience to truly understand) and closed her eyes, trying to calm her nerves about riding a motorcycle for the first time. Her stomach was clenching painfully and so to distract herself from the nausea, she focused on the feel of his muscles (buried beneath his signature jacket and T-shirt) under her arms, clasped at the front where his abs were. And then the engine started and she bit back a squeak; she couldn't, however, bite back her jump of fright. It was rather loud after all, and a bit sudden.

"Sorry." Steve shouted over the roar of his motorcycle, unable to make eye contact with her. "Hold on!" she tightened her hold just as the vehicle reared and then blasted off. The wind immediately began to whip dangerously at her purse as if it wanted to snatch it away forever, and Tania could feel the handles starting to break. She wanted to let go and fix them, afraid that all her belongings would be forever lost, but she had enough sense to know that letting go was a _very _bad idea. And so she held tighter, squeezing him as tightly as she could as the sensation of flying came to mind. She looked through the clear plastic visor of her helmet at the rapidly passing buildings and streets and prayed that she wouldn't get any bugs stuck anywhere on her person.

A sudden thought occurred to her. "Steve!" she yelled, trying to get his attention without startling him so much that he would crash. He didn't appear to have heard her. "STEVE!" she tried again. He turned slightly, acknowledging that he had heard her. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE I LIVE." She pointed out.

"POINT!" he told her. Why hadn't she thought of that? She knew the route by heart, so why not? She pointed straight ahead, almost slipping off now that she only held onto him with one arm, but he caught her wrist reflexively just as she felt she was about to slip and kept her firmly in place and the bike remarkably balanced. Her heart was pounding from that one moment when she thought she might fall, but she realized that Steve would never let anything happen to her. He shot her a shy smile and placed her hand with her other one as he slowed down at a traffic light.

"On second thought, just shout."

Tania nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I can do that."

And so that's how the ride was spent, with Tania straining her vocal cords shouting directions and feeling much more relaxed – but not completely – now that she knew that Steve wouldn't let her fall. An hour later, they arrived and parked. Tania didn't want to let go of Steve, but she did. She got off and removed her helmet, taking the elastic out of her hair to let her scalp breathe after letting it sweat for so long.

Steve couldn't help but stare at her from the corner of his eye as he put the helmets away, both full of sweat. He could still feel the pressure of Tania's arms around his waist and it felt natural, like it was supposed to be there. It almost felt like he was missing something when she let go, like he wasn't whole anymore. He tore his gaze away from her and looked up at the apartment building.

It was very high (not nearly as high as the Tower) and built with grey bricks and boring rectangular windows and balconies. He didn't comment on it, afraid he would accidentally offend her. As it turns out, that wouldn't be possible.

"Lame, isn't it?"

"Um, well-"

"Especially in comparison to the Tower. Well, I guess everything is lame in comparison to the Tower." She smiled at him and he returned it, glad that she could be so happy despite leaving her home for good. "Thanks for the lift Steve, I'll see you when I get back and then we can have brunch." Steve liked the sound of that. Except for one thing.

"Do you need any help packing?"

"Nah, I think I can handle it."

"Are you sure? It seems like a pretty big job for only one person."

"Well…"

"I don't mean to intrude on anything personal, or anything, but it just seems like a daunting task and I just thought-"

"Fine. You can help. But just this once." She narrowed her eyes playfully at him and he grinned widely, following her into the lobby of the building.

"Good. It'll be nice to see where you live. I appreciate you letting me help you. I understand that some people don't like to share their personal lives with others and are very secretive."

Tania looked down at that, her hair tumbling in front of her face a little and all Steve wanted to do at that moment was reach out and tuck it behind her ear so that he could see her face again. Tania knew that she kept a lot from Steve, from Pepper even. Her past was pretty much off limits, and it was partly the reason she was hesitant to let Steve into her apartment, where things that delved into her very core were strewn across the place haphazardly and could be found by him at any time. But they were friends, good friends, and he deserved to know. Maybe not everything, not just yet, but some things.

She led him up the several floors to her own and unlocked the door for him, surprised to find her purse still attached to its handles and her arm. _Note to self: buy more purses from this company. They're durable._ She walked in and threw her bag on a chair nearby and turned to face her guest, who was taking everything in with an expressionless face. She suddenly felt like she was under a microscope, being analyzed and judged. But Steve would never judge her, or if he did, he wouldn't say it aloud. He was too much of a gentleman for that.

"Welcome to my apartment." She said, closing the door behind him. "Now, to tackle the first thing: boxes. I only moved in here a couple years ago so I think I still have all of my boxes in here somewhere…" she began to search in a closet nearby, moving aside coats, and scarves, and hats, and mitts.

Steve was looking at everything he laid eyes on, trying to commit to memory for some unknown reason. To the far of the room was a book shelf with a few picture frames sitting on top, and what looked like hundreds of books stuffed in every available space. All over the floor were what he assumed to be dirty clothes separated into piles by colour and a green couch on the left with a little TV on the opposite side of the room. On the walls were decorative mirrors and paintings as well as framed certificates like graduating from high school and college. He like it. It was homey.

"Aha! Found them!" Tania exclaimed as she pulled out dozens of flattened cardboard boxes. "Time to start packing!"

And so they spent the next hour or so folding and hanging clothes, as well as placing _tons_ and _tons_ of books away, and emptying all the drawers and cupboards full of dishes and utensils. They chatted idly, laughing and enjoying each other's company. They teased each other in such a way that could even be classifies as flirting; though neither of them knew that.

When they were finished, it had taken almost all day. They'd had to send the trucks and guys away two different times because they wern't ready yet. It was a leisurely day and they took a break for lunch where Tania managed to make some sandwiches for the two of them and pour some apple juice into plastic cups.

"I'm sorry it's so meager." She apologized. "I'm also sorry it was such a mess when you got here. I honestly wasn't expecting company."

"Don't be sorry, I liked seeing your natural habitat."

"Are you calling me an animal?" she asked teasingly. He played along.

"Of course. This is place is a zoo." She lightly smacked his shoulder and they shared a laugh together. "But seriously, it was interesting to see this side of you. I can honestly say I've never been in a girl's bedroom before."

_That_ made Tania blush bright red, which made Steve realize what he had just said and quickly joined her, though it wasn't as obvious. "I didn't mean-" he tried to fix the awkwardness that he had just created, but he would probably only end up making things worse, which was why he was relieved when Tania interrupted him.

"No worries, I know what you meant." She took a bite of her sandwich, and then a gulp of her drink. "Thanks for helping me out by the way, I'd probably be stuck here for a week if it wasn't for you. I'd also probably be bored out of my mind."

"You're very welcome. I enjoyed it hopefully as much as you did."

The entire day passed like that, and finally, when the movers came for the third time, everything was packed and ready to go. All of the stuff was being loaded onto the trucks and Tania was standing in the doorway, staring nostalgically at the apartment she called "home". Except it wasn't home, not anymore. She had a new home now, a home where she was being thrown a party. This should be interesting.

She closed the door and followed Steve down the hall.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Hey y'all! I'm back so soon with an update? WHAT? So yeah, here's chapter 10 of this story (which is as far as I've ever gotten in a fanfiction story WOOT!) and I happen to really like this one :D I also happen to really like the last one. So I hope you guys enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - Okay seriously, I swear this is the last time I'm putting one of these up. I don't own the Avengers, MARVEL does.**

CHAPTER TEN

It was seven thirty on the dot and Tania was in Tony and Pepper's bedroom with her best friend, and no, Tony was not present because the red head had practically shoved him out.

"Oh wow, I haven't done this in a long time." Pepper admitted as she sat on the bed and Tania sat on the ground in front of her crossed-legged. She was also pouting.

"I can imagine, living with five guys and a closed off girl, and before that living by yourself. But do you mind if that 'long time' is prolonged because I really don't think this is necessary."

"Don't be silly! Of course it's necessary! This isn't just some college frat party, it's a Tony Stark party; and yes, it's not exactly black and tie formal but you still have to get dressed up!"

"A sparkly up-do is a bit over doing it, don't you think?"

There was silence as Pepper contemplated this. "Yeah, I guess…" she mumbled, disappointed. Tania giggled.

"Don't worry, just cause I don't wanna get dressed up, doesn't mean you can't."

Pepper smiled. "Could you please do my hair?" Tania nodded and they switched positions. "You do know how to do this right?" she asked, just to make sure.

"Yup. I'm a little rusty, but I know what I'm doing. It's all up here." She tapped her temple with her index finger and began to model her friend's hair. Several minutes later, Pepper was beaming at her reflection and hugging Tania as thanks.

"Thank you so much! It looks amazing!" Her hair had been styled into a high bun with loops and twirls that looked all together complicated and dazzling. Tania had worn her own hair down and threw it over one shoulder. It wasn't often that she wore it down, so she decided it was fancy enough.

Both girls got dressed, Pepper in a long and flowery skirt paired with a matching three quarter sleeve top and Tania in black pants with a light blue blouse that revealed her shoulders. Before they knew it, eight o'clock had arrived – and so had Tony, who was to escort them both to the lounge on the higher floor.

Both girls looped their arms through his and Tony felt like he was almost back in the days when he had at least two girls on his arms at a party, drunk as hell. Except this time, he wasn't drunk as hell (only a little bit) and one girl was the love of his life, and the other he had absolutely no intention of sleeping with.

He led them to the elevator where they waited in silence to Carrie Underwood and then stepped into the lounge. Tania gasped. It was unrecognizable. All the furniture had been pushed aside to make room for the giant multi-coloured platform of checker board style lights in the middle of the floor. A disco ball approximately three feet in diameter hung from the ceiling and spun around at amazing speed. The kitchen was turned into what appeared to be a professional bar with a professional bar tender behind it, except the bar tender was Peter.  
White flower lights were strung from the ceiling in random places and gave off very little light. The entire room was pretty dim with only the flowers, disco ball, platform, and anything glow-in-the-dark to let the occupants see. Speaking of the occupants…

"Wow, you look… um… you look… great." Steve stumbled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment while Tania blushed, thankful for the darkness.

"Thank you. You do too." She returned, looking him up and down. He was wearing what looked like beige trousers and a white long sleeve collared shirt with buttons down the front and a pocket on one side of the chest. He started playing with the cuffs on his sleeve as he mumbled a little "Thank you.".

"Okay," Tony started, taking his arm back from Tania and using it to grab one of Pepper's hands that were still wrapped around his bicep. "so before we introduce you to everyone, every party needs alcohol!" He turned to Pepper, "Nice hair by the way." Pepper beamed and winked at Tania, who simply smiled. The only official couple in the room walked towards the bar and Tania was left with Steve as music blared from the speakers.

"You umm… wanna dance?" she asked, mentally cursing herself for asking him that. Steve looked a little shocked.

"Umm… no thank you." He couldn't dance… not to mention he had promised to dance with a certain Peggy Carter and had never gotten the chance to. What was she thinking? Asking him to dance with her… _STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!_

"Right." Talk about awkward. "I'm just gonna… go over there." She pointed towards the bar and left before he could answer her. She was still berating herself when she sat down at the stool and banged her head on the counter.

"Need a glass?" a voice asked her and she looked up to see Peter do a double take, almost dropping the glass he was cleaning.

"Tania?!"

"Hi…" she waved shyly, embarrassed beyond belief. Peter could only stare incredulously at her, eyes wide and mouth open.

"_You_ got invited to a _Stark_ party?"

"_You_ got to _bartend_ for a Stark party?" she countered, causing him to pause.

"Point taken."

"Like always." She winked at him and he smiled. Consider the ice officially broken. "I'm here because Pepper and I are actually pretty close." She told him, deciding to avoid the subject that she had moved in.

"Wait, is this party for you?"

"Um-"

"Oh my God it is! You're the girl who's moving in! What the hell?"

"I-"

"Are you being promoted too? Why didn't you tell us any of this? Where were you this morning anyway? What-?"

"Stop it!" she interrupted, shouting at him. "I am not being promoted, I didn't tell you this because I wasn't even sure I was moving in until last night and Tony gave me the day off today so I get all my stuff here."

"Tony? As in Mr. Stark?"

"Yes Peter."

"So you and him are pretty tight too, right?"

"I… guess."

"Awesome!"

"Oh, thanks."

"Anyway, you probably came here for a drink. What can I get'cha?"

"I'll just have a half a glass of whatever you've got that's light and won't give me a hangover tomorrow."

"Coming right up." He began to do all sorts of bar tender-y things like shaking stuff and flipping them over his arms and catching behind his back and what not. Tania was amazed to see he was so talented.

"Where'd you learn that?"

"There was a bartending course at my college a few years ago. I took it, obviously."

"And so, what? You're a super bartender by night and boring business man by day?"

"Totally."

"Cool."

"So what's the deal with Captain America eyeing you from the other side of the room?" he asked her as he handed her the drink, leaning over the counter to whisper it in her ear. Tania whipped around to find Steve suddenly turn to Tony and start a conversation seemingly at random. She turned back around to face Peter and shrugged.

"I dunno. I kind of put him in an awkward position a few minutes ago and now it's like, super awkward between us."

"So you're friends with him too? Are you friends with all the Avengers?"

"No. That's partly what this party is for, to meet them all."

"Oh! Well then don't let me get in your way, go mingle!" he lightly pushed her in the direction of one of the silhouettes standing in the corner with a drink in his hand. From afar, she couldn't tell who it was, but up close she realized it was Bruce Banner, aka Hulk. Taking in a deep breath, she approached him, making extra sure not to startle him.

"Hi. I'm Tania Banks and you must be Bruce Banner. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand to shake but Bruce just stared at it, eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. The man had black hair, glasses, brown eyes, and shaky hands. She could see his drink sloshing slightly inside his cup. Eventually he looked up at her and gently took her hand.

"Likewise." He said, seemingly determined to say as little words as possible.

"So I hear that you and Tony are pretty close. I've been hearing Tony refer to you as the 'science bros'."

"Yeah."

"What kind of science do you prefer?"

He hesitated. "Nuclear physics."

"Oh cool, I tried minoring in physics one year at university but it didn't work out so well." She let out a laugh but it died down when she realized he wasn't laughing with her. _I think I prefer the awkwardness with Steve_. "I… I'm gonna… go." She said and immediately started walking away, heat rising in her cheeks. She took one look at her drink and then threw it back without hesitation. She went back to the counter and slammed it down.

She reached into her clutch to get money but Peter shook his head.

"All drinks are free courtesy of Tony Stark."

"Well in that case-"

"I think you're done for the evening." Steve interrupted, coming up behind her. Tania jumped and whipped around, but immediately relaxed when she saw that it was just him. "Don't think I don't remember my promise." And then suddenly all the awkwardness was gone, washed away like the tide coming in on the beach and taking in all the twigs and shells back to the ocean.

"Of course. I was just testing you."

"You don't have to test me. I'll always be there for you." And then things turned serious… like seriously serious. Tania was touched, Steve was feeling unceremoniously bold, and Peter felt like an intruder on their little moment, so he left to serve Tony who had come back twice already.

"And I you." Tania returned the blush in her cheeks just barely visible in the darkness. There was a second where they stared into each other's eyes, just in general getting lost in their thoughts, when it broke. "Hey, could you introduce me to the others? I just tried talking to Bruce and it didn't go very well."

"What happened?"

"Well, I was trying to make conversation but he would only give one or two word answers and I just kept making a fool out of myself by talking so much. I hope I wasn't rambling."

"I'm sure you weren't, Bruce is just like that. He's just nervous that he might hulk out and kill you, which he doesn't want to do."

"Wow thanks Steve, I feel so much better." She muttered sarcastically. Steve sputtered.

"Uh, well-"

"No worries*, it's cool. Who's left?"

"Well, there's Thor, but he's in Asgard right now. That leaves Clint and Natasha. Come on, let's go meet Clint." He places his hand at the small of her back and leads her towards the shadow in the far corner of the room. Tania blushed profusely at the gesture, but refused to let Steve know how intimate she thought it was. It was only her opinion after all.

Clint was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and one leg bent with his foot flat on the wall. His expression was blank and his stormy blue eyes seemed to be seeing everything going on in the room at once. In the darkness his hair looked black but she could tell that if it were brighter in the room that the colour would be lighter.

"Clint, this is my friend, Tania Banks. Tania, this is Clint Barton." Steve introduced, removing his hand from Tania's back in the process. The brunette was glad that she had someone with her to help stop the awkwardness this time and hoped that the encounter wouldn't be a repeat of the first.

"Hello." She held out her hand to shake which Clint did with a firm grip and calloused fingers and palm.

"A pleasure."

"Thank you."

"So you're his girlfriend."

"I… what?" she blinked in surprise and Steve reared back. Girlfriend?!

"You're not, are you?"

"N-no."

"Tony told me." Of course.

"Well Tony should mind his own business."

"He should, but he doesn't."

"I wonder what the world would be like if he did."

There was a pause as the three of them contemplated that thought. "Different." Tania and Clint chorused. Tania laughed as the corners of Clint's mouth turned up.

"I like you. She's a keeper." He gave Steve's back a friendly pat, which only resulted in getting the captain to redden.

"She's not-"

"So Tania," Clint interrupted, preventing Steve from probably unintentionally hurting Tania's feelings with whatever he was going to say next. "where are you from?"

"Everywhere. We moved around a lot."

"All over the world, or…?"

"No, just the United States."

Clint nodded. "I see." They continued their light hearted conversation, neither delving too much into the other's personal life or information that they didn't want to give away. Steve was feeling a tad bit left out as he shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. An odd feeling was rising in his stomach as he watched Clint and Tania converse naturally with each other, though what the feeling was, he couldn't place. So he ignored it. Even so, he felt like Tania had spoken enough with the archer.

"Okay," he said when there was a pause in the conversation. Both turned to look at him curiously. "I still have to introduce you to Natasha."

"Oh that's right. Okay, it was nice talking to you Clint."

"Same to you. And I hope you settle in nicely here."

"Thank you."

With that, Steve and Tania made their way to the reserved assassin at the other corner of the room, sitting on one of the couches that had been pushed against the wall. Tania couldn't help but notice how everyone looked solemn and weren't talking to each other, just off in their own little worlds. Tony looked like he was trying to coax Pepper into dancing, but she was shaking her head vigorously.  
Tania turned back to the fiery red head sitting on the couch in front of her and noticed immediately that she was really pretty. Not that she was one of those girls who compared herself to others, it was just something she took into account.

"Hi, mind if we join you?" the brunette asked. Natasha appeared to be sizing her up before nodding. Something about this woman made her nervous, and Tania gulped before sitting down in the chair adjacent to the one Natasha sat upon. Steve sat on the arm rest of Tania's chair awkwardly before deciding to just suck it up and go sit next to Natasha. "I'm Tania Banks, it's nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand to which Natasha gave two firm shakes. The only female Avenger glanced at Steve who nodded ever so slightly before introducing herself.

"Natasha Romanoff."

"Cool." Uh oh, awkward silence territory. She looked pleadingly at Steve who quickly interjected the first thing that came to mind.

"So, the weather's pretty nice today."

"Yeah." Tania agreed, "The sun was shining, and there were very few clouds."

"Uh huh." Natasha grunted. If Tania were an anime character, she would have sweat dropped.

"So… what's new?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Okay, I guess I kind of deserve that. But can I ask you something?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not it's personal."

"Well, that's a matter of opinion is it not?"

"Fine. Fire away."

"What's it like being the only female Avenger?"

"Boring."

Okay, that was not the response she was expecting, but at least she was more talkative than Bruce. "Why?"

"Because men are just overall douche bags." She looked over at Steve. "No offense."

"None… taken?" Steve said, looking very confused. Tania didn't think he knew what a douche bag was.

"Is that your opinion about all men?"

"Some of them are tolerable. Clint, for example."

"And let me guess, Tony's not on that list of tolerable people?"

"Nope." She popped the "p". "Most of the Avengers are, but not him."

"I can see why."

"Most people with functioning eyes and ears can."

"Pepper can tolerate him."

"But she's Pepper."

"True. No one can handle Tony Stark like Pepper Potts."

Natasha nodded in agreement. "This chat has been amicable and all, but I should get going before this so called 'party' bores me to death." She got up and left, taking her water bottle with her, soon followed by Clint.

The 'party' was turning out to be a total drag. Oh well, at least Tania had gotten to meet all of the Avengers. Well, almost all of them. She got up and joined Steve on the couch.

"Hey, do you think I'll ever get to meet Thor?"

Steve shrugged, placing his arms along the back of the sofa. "I don't know. He said he wanted to be back within half a year so I would assume so. And this is if nothing goes wrong up there, like Loki escaping or something."

Tania scowled at the mention of Loki, the man who had all but destroyed the city she loved and almost taken her new friend away from her before she even got to meet him. "I don't like that guy, he gives me the creeps."

"Thor?" Steve asked, a bit shocked.

"No!" Tania hastily replied, waving her hands in the air frantically. "Not Thor, Loki."

"Oh. Wait, you've seen him?"

"Yeah, I was there during the attack, remember? I was on my break at work when it all started."

"Are you going to tell me a story?" he asked with a smile.

Tania nodded. "Yup, but not here. Let's go somewhere quieter." She decided to be bold and take his hand to lead him away from the lounge. Little did she know that the remaining occupants of the room had all seen it and assumed the worst (or best, depending on the person). She pulled him along until they reached her new floor. She was practically bouncing on her toes in excitement in the elevator, having not seen her new home as of yet because Tony had the movers loading her stuff into her room ever since she and Steve had finished packing.

When the doors opened, she practically yanked him into the hallway as she gazed at the pink and brown colour scheme. She grimaced. Pink, ew. Ignoring that, she went up to the first door with gold lettering that read _TV room_. There were other doors, each labeled something different. There was_ Office, Closet_, and a blank door, as well as a final one: _Piggy Bank_. Well… that was certainly an interesting nickname. She hoped to God he wouldn't use it. _Ever._

Deciding to kill Tony later, she realized that there weren't any doorknobs and just placed her palm flat against the door. A second later it retracted itself to the side to reveal the best and biggest bedroom Tania had ever seen. All of her own furniture was there, but there were also modern pieces that blended in extremely well with them. The walls were a peachy mango colour and the floor was carpeted with chocolate brown and there were paintings hung on the walls and- Wait a second. Were those…?

"Are those my paintings?" Steve asked, walking up to one of them and staring at it. "It is…" Tania ran up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Steve, I swear I had nothing to do with this. It was all Tony's idea. You can have them back if-"

"Keep them."

"What?"

"I said keep them." He turned to face her, and he was calm and smiling. Tania relaxed. "There are only like three here anyway. I was planning on giving you that one for your birthday or something, but I guess a 'welcome to the neighborhood' present works too." He pointed to sketch he had drawn of the two of them at the coffee shop and Tania felt like she was glowing. She did love that drawing.

She walked up to the other two, placed side by side above her green love seat and fiery orange and red throw pillows. The one on the left was daybreak over an empty beach, and the one on the right was a close up of a red rose. She wanted to reach out and touch it, but they were oil paintings and she didn't want any chance of disturbing them. There were tears in her eyes but she blinked them back, choosing instead to turn to him and smile.

"I don't what to say other than thank you."

"You're welcome. I guess you should thank Tony though. He broke into my gallery and stole them."

She laughed. "But their yours, and that's why I love them."

Steve shook his head. "No. They're yours."

Electricity seemed to zap between them and in that moment, Tania ran up to him and threw her arms around him. Steve seemed surprised, but quickly returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Thank you." She whispered in his ear. They stayed like that for what felt like forever, neither wanting to let go, but both knowing they had to. Eventually, they broke apart, already missing the other. "Do you want to hear that story now? It's the one where you save me."

Steve's face lit up. "Yes." She led him to the green love seat and they sat down together, turning diagonally so that they faced each other almost head on.

"Well, it started when my boss was being a jerk…"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N. Hi guys! This one's a short one. Hope you guys don't mind :S By the way, you guys are amazing! 48 followers, 41 favourites, 23 reviews, and almost 4000 hits! Gosh! You guys boost my self-esteem with every notification I get saying someone did any of these things xD Thank you guys so much! I reply to each and every one of my reviews, so if you have any questions or are confused about the story, you can put them there or you can PM me. Thanks a bunch and I hope you enjoy this chapter :D**

CHAPTER ELEVEN

_"Get out! And if you value your life, you won't come back!" Jim screamed at her, face red and veins bulging. Tania stumbled out into the cold air of New York City and huffed as Jim slammed the door behind her._

_"Stupid boss… I'm just going on my break. Such a drama queen…" she knew he wouldn't do anything drastic like fire her. Shaking her head at him, she began to make her way across the street to a book store. When she entered, she was immediately surrounded by shelves upon shelves of dusty old books with tattered covers and ripped plastic and folded pages or coffee stains. But it was her favourite shop, because she was one of the only customers it even had, so privacy was never a problem. All the books were also super cheap AND she could always spot the new arrivals, the ones with stark white pages that still smelled of ink and covers that were shining like glass. Those were her favourites, and they were so easy to find._

_She immediately began to look for one, trailing her finger across the hundreds of novels, most of which she had already read. And that's when she saw it: the latest book by J.K. Rowling, the author of her absolute FAVOURITE series: Harry Potter. It was in mint condition and just perfect, sitting there, waiting for her to discover it. She rushed over and quickly took it from the shelf and took a moment to admire it._  
_…_

_Okay, moment over, time to go buy it._

_Tania was practically giddy with excitement as she took it up to the cash where an old lady with round wire-rimmed glasses and grey hair in a loose bun was hunched over the register, tapping on an iPhone. Tania placed the book on the counter and smiled excitedly. The old lady whose name tag read Mary looked up at her over her glasses with grey eyes._

_"Another one? You just bought one yesterday."_

_"I know, but I finished it."_

_Mary raised an eyebrow. "I should have expected as much. Alright, let me see here. Oh, you've got one of our newest and best."_

_"I know."_

_"Take good care of it."_

_"I will."_

_"I know." Mary rang up the book and placed it in a plastic bag, handing it to Tania when she was done. Tania grinned and took it, clasping the handles with shaky and excited fingers._

_"Thanks Mary! Have a good day!" she called over her shoulder as she walked out of the store. The chilly afternoon wind caught her in its clutches yet again as she stepped onto the sidewalk and hailed a cab. She opened the door and got in, tossing her purse next to her and immediately reached for her book. She told the driver the address of her favourite restaurant to have lunch as her eyes skimmed the first page, anxious to become ensnared by the wonderful of world of fiction._

_Completely absorbed by the captivating world created by a vortex of words, Tania didn't notice the driver's panic a few minutes later, nor did she notice the black figures flying through the sky and causing terror and destruction. She didn't notice, that is, until her cab slammed into one of them, creating a horrifying shrieking sound, and flipped over a couple times, eventually ending right side up._

_Heart hammering, head pounding, eyes blurring in and out, Tania closed her book and hesitantly looked out the window that was now smashed to pieces and gasped as the dizziness faded. Dark creatures riding on some sort of floating scooters were swarming the area, zapping people with lasers from their alien staffs. They killed mercilessly and they were everywhere. Tania looked to the driver, only to see that he was impaled with a particularly sharp shard of glass right through his heart, blood trickling down his chest. He was dead. She shuddered and pushed the image out of her head as her survival instincts took over. She unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her purse, stuffing her book inside of it before giving the door a hard shove, causing more glass to fall and scratch her arms. She stepped out into the chaos reigning over her beloved city and sought out shelter, slamming the door behind her as she ran. A flood of people swarmed the streets, all running for their lives in the direction they saw fit, which happened to be all of them. Tania was being shoved back and forth by the tidal wave of people and eventually just decided to go with the majority and follow them._

_She had never run faster in her life, and her legs were already burning as the sounds of lasers being fired and people screaming and explosions going off filled her ears. A particularly loud explosion knocked her off her feet and sent her flying to the ground a few feet away, sprawled on the pavement with the others. Her ears rang so loudly that it was all she could hear, but she could feel the ground vibrating from the explosion and see the orange flames engulfing the building just across the street._

_Mouth open in horror, Tania realized that that was the restaurant she had been going to. Terror stricken, she slammed her mouth shut and pushed herself to her feet, her grip on her purse ever so tight that she swore that her hands were glued to the handles. She pushed her legs to keep going despite the burning in her chest and legs as she ran through the maze of what she assumed were aliens, dead bodies, and those trying to flee. She leaped over fallen debris (which was very hard to do in a pencil skirt) and dodged the lasers being fired at her, and suddenly she found that she was a target._

_More and more lasers were zapping the ground where she had just been and she tried to move faster, but she physically could not do so. That was when she noticed a formation of black scooters passing over her, and at the head was a man so pale he looked like a corpse with raven black hair and weird battle armour. It wasn't until a few days later when she realized that it was Loki, and that they had made eye contact for a brief second before he smirked and zoomed away._

_That was when everything went downhill, even more so than being in the middle of an alien attack. She found herself being tackled roughly to the ground and scraped her skin against the rough cement as she collided with it face first. She managed to roll over and come face to face with a Chitauri (which she discovered was its name much later as well). It was about three inches from her face when it screeched and began to claw at her body with its sharp nails and punch her arms that had long since blocked its way. With each hit she could feel her "shield" grow weaker and more bruised, and they would eventually break and she would be left defenseless and in pain._

_She struggled to break from its straddle on her, but no matter what she tried it was not use, and just when she thought it would deliver its final blow, a blur of red, white, and blue flashed in front of her eyes and then the Chitauri was gone, howling a few feet away as THE Captain America beat the crap out of him. Tania could only stare at him in shock as he whacked the alien with his shield, knocking it unconscious before reflecting another blast from a laser and continuing in his fight, using his mighty weapon to guide him._

_Shaking herself out of her reverie, Tania knew that she would be safe in hiding and quickly searched for a spot she would not be in sight. She threw herself under a bent car just as another explosion went off. Tania covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, praying it would all be over soon and that she would be able to go home –assuming of course, that she still had one after this._

"So yeah, after that I managed to keep myself from view, changing hiding spots whenever my previous one was destroyed or found. I worked that way until it was over, in which case I called my brother and then reunited with him and together, we went to my apartment and watched the news." Tania finished off, avoiding Steve's gaze.

Steve seemed to be deep in thought, contemplating everything she had said and seemingly deciding very carefully what he was going to say. "I'm very sorry you had to go through that."

"Don't be sorry Steve, you saved me. Without you I might be in a cemetery right now." She said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. If anything, the atmosphere turned more serious as Steve frowned.

"I won't let that happen," he took her hand in his, "ever." He stared deep into her eyes, not imploring, searching, but pleading. Pleading her to believe him, to trust him. But she already did. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and squeezed, smiling at him thoughtfully.

"I know. And I hope you know that even though I can't protect you physically, (though that won't stop me from trying), I will be here for you for whatever you need, whenever you want. But if you get me in the morning before my coffee or after a hangover then good luck."

Steve laughed and pulled his hand away, using it to run his fingers through his hair. Tania was somewhat disappointed, but she shoved away the thought of _why_? And smiled back at him. Steve suddenly checked a pocket watch that seemingly came out of nowhere. "It's late, we should probably get some sleep." He leaned over and kissed her cheek before turning to leave, missing the darkest shade of red anyone had ever seen envelop Tania's face.

"Goodnight." She mumbled after the door closed behind him. She was alone. Alone with her thoughts and her swirling emotions… but it was late. Too late. She could think about all that tomorrow… or never.

She yawned and made her way to the bedroom, the door opening for her and closing for her as well. "Oh…" was all she could say as she took in the room. The walls were a fiery red and the floor was shiny hardwood. The bed had brand new yellow duvet covers and pillow cases (yes, she noticed the room was Iron Man themed, but she was too tired to care. She could redecorate later) and her old furniture were around as well as all of her bags and boxes just sitting in a huge pile on the left side of her room. On the other side was a large window that was about five feet wide and six feet tall with mustard yellow curtains. She took a few steps toward the window and saw her own reflection first, but once she adjusted her vision to look past that, she gasped. There were hundreds of colourful NYC lights that illuminated the dark shadows and silhouettes of the skyscrapers and buildings. She couldn't wait to see it during the day. The sky was pitch black, not a star to be seen. It was one of the down sides of living in the city, but that was okay. She'd see the stars one day, she had promised herself that when she was little.

She collapsed on the bed, letting herself become swallowed by the softness of the comforter. She didn't bother to change into her pyjamas, she didn't bother to close the curtains to the window, she also didn't bother to turn off the lights. That last one was going to bother her, but she didn't want to get up. She groaned. It was just too comfy…

"Jarvis?" she mumbled.

The A.I. answered her reflexively. "Yes Miss Banks?"

"Could you please turn off the lights?"

"Yes Miss Banks." The lights shut off and she was surrounded by darkness.

"Thank you." Maybe he's not such an ass after all…


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N. Hey guys! Here's chapter twelve, it's rather long compared to the last one :P so, here's tons of fluff and Tania's first day of living at Avengers Tower :D and don't worry, the Avengers ARE a very big part of this story, it's just that she's not very close to them yet so she kind of has to bond with each of them first. Also, Thor WILL be in this fic, i have special plans for him ;) and for anyone who wants to put my story in a community archive thing, please ask me first and I will most likely say yes, but I would like to be asked :) so yeah, I don't own J.K. Rowling (as mentioned last chapter), Disney Sing It!, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, the Wii, 3D TVs, or anything you recognize from somewhere else. And you know what? I've been saying that I own Tania, but as I mentioned in the first chapter, she's based off my friend so... I guess I don't ****_really _****own her... i mean she's my character but... ah, whatever. You guys know my disclaimers by now :P Enjoy! :D**

CHAPTER TWELVE

That morning, Tania woke up to super bright sunlight and ringing ears. Her head kind of hurt, but she wasn't too hung over – WOOT! She groaned and rolled over, and that was when her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright. This wasn'ter her room. Oh wait, wait for it… yes it was. It was her new room, not her old one. Speaking of which, she still had to put her apartmet up on the market for someone else to buy. Gah! So much to do and it was only… she looked left and right for a clock but couldn't find one. She looked down and realized she was still in the outfit she wore to the party last night and reached into her pants pocket for her phone. TEN O'CLOCK?

She threw off the covers and came to her feet, giving herself a head rush and falling back onto the bed before realizing it was Saturday. No work. YES! She was free to do whatever she wanted, roam around the Tower, meet Steve for brunch, hang out with Pepper, go bug Tony, try to talk to Natasha again, call Graham and apologize for not inviting him to the party to meet the rest of the Avengers, etc. But first things first. Breakfast.  
She quickly changed into sweat pants and a camisole and pulled her hair into a ponytail and left her room barefoot. She was in her hallway on her floor. And if you thought about it, she technically had her own butler too. This was AWESOME! Deciding that breakfast could wait just a little longer, she walked up to the door marked TV Room and opened it with the touch of her hand. There was a whoosh and then the doorway was clear to walk through.

When she entered, she smiled and shook her head, quietly chuckling to herself. There was a very large flat screen TV on the right wall with eight pairs of 3D glasses resting on the cable box. It must have been a 3D TV. So cool! In the cupboard beneath the TV were a couple of video games like Harry Potter Wii and Disney Sing It! And things like that. There were also quite a few movies, both in 3D and 2D. Most of them were Disney and the others were things like Harry Potter (wow, Steve and/or Tony and/or Pepper knew here really well) and Lord of the Rings. They even had the Hobbit! How did they even get that on DVD?

The colour scheme was the same as the living room in her bedroom (if that made any sense) with peachy mango walls and chocolate brown carpets and curtains with off-white furniture and black accessories. The entire room looked like a pumpkin pie, only more fruity than vegetable-y.

She left the room and went to the next one, the Office. She entered and gasped. There were giant floating see through screens in a perfect circle that looked like holograms that were thin as paper. She reached out, mesmerized, and touched one. She felt nothing and her hand went right through. She mimicked sliding the screen to the left and the entire circle of them spun in accordance to how much power she'd put into the push. She was left in utter awe at the technology around her. Giddily, she jumped into the middle of circle and stuck her arms out, stopping the spinning in its tracks. She turned to one of the screens that were now surrounding her and saw that it was a google web page. She googled images of the solar system by dragging the key board closer to her and flipped it so that it was horizontal and typed on it. When the image popped up in front of her, she placed both palms against the holographic touch screen and threw both arms back, expanding the picture so that it was three dimensional and covered the entire room, which was actually pretty small; not that she cared much at this point. The technology was just too cool. She stared at the planets and stars that were floating in the air around her, perfect spheres of light and colour that fizzled when she touched them. She felt like a giant walking through space and time. She finally saw the stars.

She could have stayed there for hours, but her stomach rumbled, reminding her of the fact that she needed food to survive, not computers. Still, she couldn't skip the other two doors. The closet was pretty darn amazing, it was even bigger than the office with shelves and racks filled with her clothes, but even with her entire wardrobe there (minus the outfit she wore last night) it was still rather sparse. Oh well. She shrugged, not all that impressed with it, especially after the whole "solar system" thing.

But when she got to the room with the blank door… she literally squealed and jumped up and down in excitement. It was a library, and it was fully stocked. There were dozens of floor to ceiling shelves filled with colourful books of all shapes and sizes organized by author's last name and by genre. She skipped through the maze of books and twirled around and around, laughing in joy. She reached out for one at random and pulled it out, reading the back. Hm, sounded interesting. She tucked it under her arm and decided it was time to go before she starved to death. She gave her new favourite place one last fleeting glance before galloping out of the room, down the hallway, and into the elevator. She couldn't stop bouncing up and down the whole ride to the kitchen (which she wasn't really sure where it was, but luckily there was a map on the wall to guide her) and when the doors finally opened, revealing Tony leaning against the counter, Steve sitting at said counter and reading a newspaper, and Pepper typing on her laptop at said counter, Tania couldn't help herself as she ran and engulfed Tony in a bone-crushing hug.

"OhmyGodthankyouthankyouthank you!" she squealed over and over again. Tony seemed extremely shocked, as did everyone else in the room, but Tania couldn't bring herself to care. "You're the best! I don't even care that you gave me the most annoying nickname ever or that you're totally annoying and arrogant and make so many sex jokes all the time, thank you a million times over! I can't believe you did all that! That is by far the most expensive thing anyone has ever done for me and I can't thank you enough! Oh my God you're so amazing!"

Tony, never one to refuse a compliment, slowly returned the hug and patted her back. "No problem kiddo. Literally, I hired a bunch of people to do it for me."

Tania drew back and looked at him. "Are you being modest?"

"What? God no. I'm just saying-"

"What he's saying," Pepper interrupted, "is that despite it being his idea, Steve and I are the ones who designed the place, filled it with your favourite things, and the men he hired did all the heavy lifting."

Tania went over and hugged Pepper around the shoulders. "Thank you!" She then proceeded to do the same to Steve, except she kissed his cheek as well. "And thank you!" Steve began to blush a bright red and Tania felt victorious. She felt like she was on top of the world! She felt like she could take down that entire stupid army of Chit- GRRRRRRRRUMBLE. She felt hungry. She blushed and everyone else laughed, but it wasn't a mockery kind of laugh, it was a "that was kind of funny and we're all in good moods" laugh.

"Here," Pepper said, getting up from her seat and heading for the fridge. She took out scrambled eggs with bacon and toast on a plate with a see-through cover on it. She handed it to Tania who took it gratefully and sat down on Steve's left. Pepper went to a drawer on the far left side of the kitchen and grabbed a fork and knife and handed it to the brunette girl. "Would you like something to drink?"

Tania felt like she was being babied, taken care of, nurtured… this was not something she was accustomed to. It wasn't really something she welcomed all that much. She didn't want to be rude, it was just that she had been quite the independent individual her entire life, and now that she was in her early twenties she didn't want to start acting like a kid (well, not one that needed taken care of anyway). But she didn't say any of that, instead, she just smiled and nodded. "Just a coffee please. Black"

Pepper retrieved it and slid it over to her, who nearly spilt it but caught it just in time. She flashed her a grateful smile and put the food in the microwave that was conveniently within arm's reach on the counter. That was when she realized she didn't know how long to put it in for. She randomly put two minutes and then start, not wanting to ask for help. As the microwave hummed, Steve continued his reading and Pepper continued work on laptop.

Both Tony and Tania were bored, so one of them decided to start a conversation. Of course it had to be Tony. "So Piggy Bank," Tania scowled, "what was the exact thing that made you so excited that you decided to idolize me on this very fine morning."

"Definitely the library." It was Tony's turn to scowl and Pepper laughed. Steve chuckled along with her. Tania was a bit confused.

"The library was Steve's idea, whereas the office was Tony's. He was hoping you'd pick him over Steve." Pepper explain.

"Ah." Tania said. She looked over at Steve who was literally burying his face in the paper trying to hide his blush. "Aww… don't be like that Steve."

She lightly pushed away the paper and smiled at him. "Thank you… again. That was very thoughtful of you and I literally squealed when I saw it."

She turned to Tony once she was satisfied that Steve looked proud enough to sit up straight. "And your office idea was brilliant! When I went in there my jaw literally dropped and I swear I was in there for-" she checked her phone, "-half an hour. It was so epic! And the TV room was pretty cool too!"

"What about the closet?" Pepper inquired. It was obvious that the walk-in closet was her idea, and Tania didn't want to make her feel bad by saying that she wasn't impressed, so she came up with what was as close to the truth as possible.

"It was really big and spacious, I definitely don't have enough clothes to fill it all."

"Then I guess we'll have to plan another shopping trip then." She smiled and took a sip of her coffee as the microwave beeped and Tania removed her steaming hot food. Some of it was a little burnt, but at least it hadn't exploded like the last time she'd used one. She blew on her food before taking a bite.

"I don't have the money to go shopping every week Pepper." Tania explained after swallowing.

"Not even after saving so much money on no taxis, bills, or breakfast at coffee shops?"

"Well… Okay I guess you have a point. And I mean, what else am I going to spend it on? Books? I've got tons at home now so there's no need to buy anything. But about the bills thing, are you guys sure you don't want me to pay rent or electricity or-"

"Pfft!" Tony waved her off, interrupting her. "Forget about it. If I'm gonna charge you rent I'm gonna have to charge everyone rent, and they would all kill me in my sleep, so…"

"Are you sure?"

"Two hundred percent."

"Well alright, if you insist."

"Great!" Pepper exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "We'll go next weekend. I'm really swamped this one, I'm sorry, but next Saturday it will be a girls day." Hm, a girls day…

"Do you think we could invite Natasha?" Tania asked, wary of Pepper's response. She didn't really know their history, but she knew they had one, however brief. She needn't have worried, because the red head smiled at her.

"That's a good idea. I haven't spoken to her much lately."

"Okay, I'm sorry," Steve interrupted, surprising everyone in the room as he did so, "but did anyone notice how Tania already called this place home?"

There was silence as everyone contemplated that sentence. "Did I?" Tania asked, furrowing her eyebrows together in confusion as she replayed what she had just said in her mind. Oh… she did… was that going to make the situation awkward? To prevent this, she just kept talking. "Well, I guess it just feels… natural. I guess. Like I've lived here forever, except I don't know my way around for the most part." She felt her cheeks heat up and blamed it on the steam still coming from her food. She took another bite of her eggs to have an excuse not to talk.

"Well," Tony started, moving to sit next to Tania so that the order from left to right was Tony, Tania, Steve, Pepper, "I guess that means you were meant to live with me." He winked and she shoved him, nearly making him fall off his chair. "Hey watch it!"

"Ditto playboy bunny." Pepper burst out laughing and Steve almost choked on his coffee, patting his chest with his fist. Tania chewed her food smugly as Tony spluttered.

"Wha-? What's that supposed to mean? I'm not a playboy."

Tania coughed. "Anymore." She coughed again and Pepper and Steve continued laughing their asses off. Needless to say, Tony was not pleased.

"Okay that's it, get out of my house."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Tania rolled her eyes. She knew he didn't mean it (at least she hoped) but she didn't want to risk getting him any angrier.

"Thank you." He said, collecting the rest of his dignity and standing. "Now if you don't mind, Bruce if waiting for me in the lab." He left without another word, his stool screeching against the tile floor in his wake. He didn't seem mad, in fact, he seemed satisfied. Shrugging, Tania returned to what was left of her breakfast.

"So, what are you two doing today?" she asked, addressing Pepper and Steve.

"Well," Pepper answered, ceasing her clacking as she stopped typing, "I'm just going to catch up on my work basically all day. Work never stops."

"I'll probably go for a walk and then hit the gym, maybe do some painting." Steve replied, folding his newspaper and finishing his coffee. Tania gulped down the last of her own food and coffee as well.

"Can I come with you? For the walk, I mean." She didn't want to cling to him all day… okay scratch that, she did, but she wasn't about to tell him that. She also wasn't about to ponder why she felt that why, she wanted to avoid thinking about those feelings for as long as possible. Yeah, she knew she had to address them eventually, but she didn't feel ready, didn't feel like it was the right time yet. Steve looked at her in surprise, opened his mouth as if to say something and then thought better of it and closed it. Pepper watched, amused.

"Sure, I'd like that." He smiled at her and she grinned back.

"Fantastic!" she brought her dishes to the sink and rinsed them off, leaving them in the dishwasher as she wiped her hands on her pants. "How's the weather outside? Do I need to change?"

"What you're wearing is fine. It's July, I don't think it would be too cold." Steve pointed out with an amused half-smile on his face. Tania stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed as he stood up. "You may need shoes though."

Tania looked down. "Oh, yeah, hang on, I'll be right back." She rushed to the elevator but Pepper caught her elbow before she could get far.

"What size are you?"

"Seven, why?"

"You can just borrow a pair of my shoes. I have tons. I have a pair on each floor. It comes in very useful."

"Are you sure?" gosh, she felt like she was mooching off of them.

"Positive. They're right there." She pointed to a cute pair of flats by the elevator door next to a pair of brown sneakers that had to be Tony's. They were rather large compared to hers, but they somehow looked well together. Tania walked over to them and put them on.

"Thanks so much Pepper, not just for the shoes, but for everything you've done for me thus far. You and Tony and Steve have been so amazing. I feel like you're all pitying me like some orphan you found on the street."

They shared a little a chuckle. "Don't worry about it, we see you as out equal. Well, I can't speak for Tony, but I'm sure Steve feels that way, right Steve?"

He nodded. "I do."

Tania shook the sound of annoying wedding bells out of her head and waved him over excitedly. "Cool. You guys are awesome. Before I go though, I just wanna ask one thing."

"Shoot."

"Where are the rest of the Avengers during breakfast?"

"Oh we always have breakfast together, like always. But some of us linger longer than others. You slept in quite late which is why it was only us three down here. If you came down at around eight, you would have seen everybody."

"Oh okay. Cool. Thanks!" she waved goodbye to her friend as she and Steve entered the elevator and the doors slid closed. Steve pressed the button for the first floor. "So, what route do you usually take?" Tania asked as a conversation starter.

"Well, usually just around and through central park. Not much more to it than that."

"Cool, cool."

And so they went on a walk, and it was really cool. Steve would point out things he knew were places where old things from the forties used to be and Tania would explain to Steve why people were talking to what appeared to by no one (blue tooth). It was an absolutely gorgeous day out, and there were so many people walking their dogs, or holding hands, or taking their children out for some Vitamin D. It was really nice, and the entire time, Tania had the urge to hold his hand. And at one point she did, but it was rather brief.

It was when she almost tripped (usual) and Steve caught her by the hand, pulling her back up to him a little too hard and she ended up pressed against his chest and flushing like crazy. She was reminded of how she met him, when he caught her from falling on the ground and had hugged her close. She was intoxicated by his scent yet again and almost resisted when he pulled away – almost. She didn't, and the two both looked away, embarrassed. They continued walking together, getting to know each other and spending time with one another.

At one point, Tania bought him a popsicle. "Come on capsicle." She had teased, elbowing him in the ribs. He frowned but it didn't seem real.

"Not you too."

"Don't worry, you'll always be Steve to me."

"Good. And I can buy my own popsicle."

"No, no. I insist! You've already done so much for me that this is the least I could do. Plus, I actually have money I can spend freely now." She chuckled as she bought him one from the ice cream truck parked on the road and got herself a cookie dough ice cream cone. They sat on a park bench and watched an old lady feed the birds bird crumbs and admired the giant tree in front of them as Steve leaned back and threw his right arm along the back of the bench. Tania leaned back unknowingly and blushed when she felt his arm along the back of her shoulders, and although it wasn't actually around her, it still felt pretty darn close. She didn't want to pull away and make him think she was repulsed by him (impossible!) and stayed there, licking her ice cream.

By the time they came back, it was almost two in the afternoon. Both were on cloud nine as they laughed and spoke to each other without awkwardness or tension. It was perfect, and Tania wished it would never change. She also wished it would never be over, but she knew it had to come to end. She just didn't think it would happen like this.

"He was a selfish prick who didn't love his son."

"He was a genius and one of my friends."

"Well he wasn't one of mine."

"How can you talk about your own father that way?"

"How can you talk about the guy who gave up looking for you that way?"

"Because he-"

"Look, my father was a man who didn't care about anyone."

"He loved his wife-"

"Stop talking about my family like you know them!"

"I do!"

"You did! They've changed since then!"

"Well excu-use me for thinking that one of my closest friends was a nice person!"

"Howard Stark was anything but a nice person!"

"Tony! He was your father! You were his greatest legacy-"

"That doesn't change the way he treated me!"

"Maybe you deserved it!"

"OH you wanna go?"

"Fine. Go get your suit, you're nothing without it."

"I thought we covered this? I'm a genius billionaire philanthropist!"

"So you're going to fight me without the Iron Man suit?"

"Bring it on old man!"

"TONY!" Pepper screamed.

"STEVE!" Tania shouted. The two girls grabbed hold of their respective "partners" and literally had to hold them back from pummeling each other. Tania thought that this would be amusing, oh how wrong she was. "STEVEN GRANT ROGERS!" she tried again. Using his full name was apparently somewhat effective, seeing as he huffed and tensed his muscles before he stood upright and crossed his arms, obviously still unhappy.

"ANOTHONY EDWARD STARK!" Pepper mimicked, tugging on her boyfriend's bicep. Tony didn't react the way Steve did, instead he seemed to want to fight more. "If you don't calm down this instant I will make sure Jarvis doesn't let you into the alcohol cabinet for a month!" That got him to stop. He yanked his arm away from her and dusted off his shirt.

"Fine. You win. You're lucky these girls were here to protect you Rogers, or else I would have kicked your butt."

"Oh please Stark, I would have had you pinned in thirty seconds."

"You wanna test that theory and have it blow up in your face?"

"You would know all about things blowing up in your face wouldn't you?"

"Why you little-!"

"BOYS!" Natasha Romanoff yelled, causing everyone to freeze. Natasha walked down the couple of stairs from the elevator to the lounge floor and crossed her arms with Clint at her shoulder, watching the scene with amusement. Natasha however, was stone-faced. "Go your separate ways already, we can hear you all the way down in the gym."

Tony huffed and stormed away in the direction of the second elevator on the other side of the room, ordering JARVIS to slam the doors behind him. Steve turned to Natasha and Clint.

"Are you two done downstairs?" they nodded, "Good." He said no more and made his way to the elevator, smashing the button for the gym floor a little too hard. The doors closed and the assassins passed through the room to the elevator Tony went through, leaving Pepper and Tania alone in the room. It was silent for a while, before Tania broke it.

"Is it always like this?"

"Not always. This was one of their worse ones. Usually I can get them to stop by getting them to separate and then bribing them to apologize to each other later. Tony's probably off to blow stuff up and Steve's gone down to the gym to punch some bags." Pepper sighed exasperatedly and sat down on the couch, resuming her work on her laptop. Tania didn't know what to do, so she just made her way back to her room and decided to spend the rest of the day in her library.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N. Hi guys! Next chapter WOOT! You guys hopefully know by now that my length of chapter varies between 2000-5000 words approximately, so I hope you don't mind that this one was pretty short. I have something planned to happen, but that's next week (in the story) so I don't know what to do with my characters until then. This happened with my Glee stories too... but don't worry, I'm DETERMINED to keep updating this. Once I start writing you can't make me stop :P Also, I don't know if Clint can do the things I say he does in here, but let's just say for the purpose of this fic that he does and he can :P I'm also warning you now that there's still a ways to go before Thor shows up. Just saying. Enjoy! :D Oh! I also have an idea of a new Avengers fic, if you don't wanna hear about it, skip the next paragraph.**

**Okay, so I'm thinking about doing a High School/child AU fic that's basically a recreation of all the Avengers' movies only without powers, where they attend regular school, etc. The actual MAIN plot (woven through all the different movies clashing together) will be a school shooting at Midgard High School done by Loki and the rival school Thanos High's students, labeled the Chitauri (the sports team name) and the Avengers in the SHIELD program (Tony, Thor, Steve, Bruce, CLint, and Natasha) will have to come together in a recreation of the Avengers movie as close to cannon as possible without powers or hammers or bows and arrows or shields or full iron man suits to stop him. Characters like Selvig (astronomy teacher) Darcy (his TA) Coulson (the guidance counselor) Jane, Betty, and Pepper (fellow high school students) and Peggy (who will NOT be dead in this fic) will appear. Do you guys like this idea? Leave a review and let me know :D**

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next day was Sunday, and Tania actually woke up normally that day, seven thirty. Well, it was normal by her standards. She got up immediately, knowing that today would be the day that she would have breakfast with the Avengers for the very first time. It was rather exciting because, although she had technically met all of them, it would be nice to get to know them in a less awkward setting all at once rather than one at a time.

Tania walked to her closet and stopped. What was she going to wear? Normally she wouldn't concern herself with things like that, but today was different. Should she just go downstairs in her pyjamas or get herself dressed? If she went downstairs in PJs then she would give off a vibe that she walked around like she owned the place after only being here two nights. If she wore regular clothes and everyone else was in PJs it would like she was trying to impress them – unless of course, she had somewhere to be…

But she didn't. So she settled on sweat pants and a red V-neck and tied her hair into a high ponytail. She glanced at the mirror before jogging towards the elevator. Once inside, she prayed that Steve and Tony were on somewhat good terms by now, or breakfast would be extremely tense.

She'd never seen that side of Steve before, angry, defensive, threatening. It was kind of scary if she was being honest with herself, but she knew that if he turned his anger on her (for whatever LOGICAL reason that may be) that she could handle herself in front of him. She wasn't going to let him see her cry and be weak, no. If anything she'd yell louder…

And now she was picturing them fighting. She shook her head vigorously to clear those thoughts and did so just as the doors opened before her. There was a dining room table on the left side of the room that could seat eight people, but right now only two were there, sitting quietly and doing their own things. Bruce sat next to the head of the table on the right and Steve sat across from him, reading another newspaper. They both seemed quiet, relaxed, but you never knew what was lurking underneath the exterior.

Clearing her throat, Tania entered and Steve whipped around to face her whereas Bruce just looked up from his phone, jumped in surprise at seeing her, and then realized she lived here now and nodded at her before going back to his phone. Tania took the seat on Steve's left and noticed that he was dressed in flannel pants and a white T-shirt while Bruce was wearing jeans and a long-sleeve black shirt. Well, at least she didn't stand out.

"G'Morning guys." She greeted with a smile and a little wave. Bruce shyly waved back and Steve placed his paper on the table, turning to face her.

"Tania, I'm really sorry you had to see me act that way last night. I never wanted you to see that side of me, and I'm ashamed that you had to witness my immaturity."

Tania was taken aback. "Umm… apology not accepted?" Steve looked affronted. "Steve, you shouldn't apologize for getting angry and defending your friends, and I want to see every side of you, not just the polite and happy ones I see every day. It wasn't immaturity, it was instinct. If Tony has a certain opinion on his father, then that's his opinion. If you want to change that, then I'm afraid to say that fighting isn't the answer."

Steve looked down at the table. "You're right."

"Aren't I always?" he cracked a smile just as Clint and Natasha walked in. Tania hadn't seen them apart since the party, but even then they'd left together. Hmm… interesting… They took seats opposite each other with Clint on Tania's left and Natasha two spots away from Bruce. "Good morning!" Tania greeted them, unusually cheery this morning.

"Morning." Clint replied.

"Morning." Natasha said quietly.

"So how are you guys feeling today?" Tania asked curiously. She needed to keep the conversation going or else she might die from the awkwardness and embarrassment.

Clint shrugged. "Fine, you?"

"Really happy, actually."

"Really? Why?" Clint inquired, resting his elbows on the table as he looked at her. Tania decided she liked Clint. He was much more talkative than the rest of him and the least likely to embarrass or annoy her. He also seemed to be in the best mood, not overly cheery (like Tony usually was) or closed off (Natasha) or too shy to say anything (Bruce), instead, he engaged in conversation with her like a normal person. It was great.

"Well, yesterday was practically the best day of my entire life! Tony, Steve, and Pepper gave me a huge library of my own and an office with super high-tech computer screens as well as a walk-in closet AND Steve and I went for a walk in central park yesterday that was really cool! I don't think I've ever gone outside to just… walk. I was always going somewhere, so it was nice to just take a break from that." She turned to Steve and smiled at him, and he returned it full force. She turned back to Clint who looked smug(?) for some reason. "And then today, I'm getting breakfast with all of you guys. I want to get to know you all better." She finished, gesturing to Bruce and Natasha as well.

Clint nodded in understanding. "Sounds like some good reasons to be happy."

"Doesn't it?"

"What about the fight yesterday?"

"Pfft!" she waved him off, "Not even that could dampen my mood."

"Nice. And just so you know, we're only waiting for Pepper and Tony to get down before we eat because Pepper usually cooks us all food. We try to tell her that we can do it ourselves," he looks at Steve, "well, some of us can, but she flat out refuses. So every morning she makes breakfast for an army, because I'm like a bottomless pit, though I'm nothing compared to Thor."

She laughed. "I can imagine that, and it's also not very pretty."

"Trust me, it isn't."

"So what do you guys usually have for breakfast?"

"Usually some form of eggs, with meat, some sort of wheat, and some sort of fruit."

"Sounds… vague."

Clint chuckled. "Yeah, I think we're having omelets today."

"Cool. I love omelets."

"As do I."

"Of course you do. Birds and eggs go together like balloons and helium." Tony interrupted as he walked in the room, closely followed by Pepper. Tony had light bed head and was wearing a T-shirt and boxers (Tania blushed and averted her eyes) and Pepper had her hair down and was wearing an indigo pencil skirt and white blouse while carrying her shoes and jacket over one arm. She appeared to be in a rush.

"I'm sorry guys!" she apologized quickly as she slipped on the footwear and jacket, hopping around a little. "But it took me forever to get Tony to come down and now I don't have time to cook or I'm going to be late for a meeting. I hope you guys don't mind."

"Don't worry Pepper," Clint reassured, "I'll make breakfast."

"Thank you so much. Bye guys! Have a good day!" and with that, she was gone, the elevator doors having closed behind her. Everyone glared at Tony for making Pepper late.

"What?"

Tania rolled her eyes and turned to Clint. "You cook? Like, well?"

"Yup. One of my hidden talents."

"His other one is the fact that he's a musician." Natasha stated in a monotone voice without looking up from her phone. She and Bruce practically mirrored each other with the way they were both dressed like they were going outside and both playing their phones facing the same direction. Clint himself was dressed in sweat pants (like Tania) and a sleeveless shirt.

He glared at Natasha, though Tania could plainly see it wasn't serious. The red head smirked and Clint shook his head. They seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes. She leaned over to Steve. "Do they do that often?"

"Yeah, we think they're telepathic."

"Hmm." She sat back up just as Clint pushed away from the table and made his way towards the kitchen. It would be awkward to continue a conversation from a (sort of) separate room, so instead of following him, Tania turned to the occupants of the table, of which Tony had joined at the head between Clint and Natasha's spots. She noticed that it was the farthest seat from Steve currently available. She decided to engage in conversation by addressing Bruce, not giving up on him just yet. "So Bruce, do you mind my asking what you're doing?"

He looked, surprised that she had directly addressed him. He blinked a few times before answering, holding up his phone as proof. "I'm playing Angry Birds." And of course, Tony couldn't let that one go.

"How ironic," he pointed out, resting both elbows on the table and leaning his head in his hands, "the man who does everything in his power to control his anger plays Angry Birds."

Everyone at the table who wasn't Tony rolled their eyes, and though Tania couldn't see Clint, she was sure that he was listening and doing the same. "I myself am not that big a fan of angry birds. I was addicted to it for a while but once I finished the free version I got bored and deleted it."

"You should get the paid version, it's much better and almost never ends." Wow, a complete sentence… an improvement!

"Nah- Actually, maybe I will. It would be fun to play in my new office." She shot Tony a grateful smile which he ignored. He was being uncharacteristically cold and she didn't like that one bit. She wasn't lying though, playing angry birds in 3D would be totally awesome. "Hey, I noticed that there were eight pairs of 3D glasses in my new TV room, I'm assuming Tony was hinting at some sort of get together…"

Tony stared blankly at her. "It was more for if you wanted to have your friends over or something, it was just a coincidence that there were eight of us."

Oh. How embarrassing. It was no wonder she'd thought it was for an Avenger get-together though, she had no other friends. Well, she guessed there was Drew and everyone down at marketing, and Graham, but other than them (and Pepper, but she counted as an Avenger in her mind) that was it. If Tony expected her to be calling over all these people to brag that she lived in Avengers/Stark Tower, he would be majorly disappointed (or relieved, depending on his opinion). "Oh." Please no more awkward silence!

"Well, we could have on anyway."

"I'll take a rain check."

"Why?" Tania seemed disappointed, and was getting more and more depressed by the second, and everyone was starting to notice.

"Because you're not my friend."

Silence. Tania felt like he'd just grown a hundred feet and stomped on her, squishing her under his boot. Steve and Bruce were staring at him incredulously and Natasha looked mildly surprised. Steve spoke up angrily.

"How can you say that? You invited her into your home, you gave her an office and a library, you met her brother, you threw a party for her, you spent an entire night getting to know her, and she's really close with your girlfriend. You don't get to talk to her that way." Steve growled. Tania tensed, lightly pushing him back as she glared at Tony. He was being rude for no reason, and she wasn't about to tolerate it.

"You're also one of my bosses and I already had an ass for a boss before you. I came here thinking I'd be working in a better environment, not a worse one. I still own my apartment, I can quit the job and go back if you want me to, but I somehow doubt you do." Tony opened his mouth to protest but she beat him to it. "You did all that stuff Steve listed off for a reason, and I don't think it's simply because Pepper likes me. I like you Tony, I think you're annoying as hell and can be a real jerk sometimes, but I think you're a good person. However, this is one of those times that you're being an ass, and I'm not going to take it. If I'm not your friend, then fine. But you don't have to be rude about it."

Natasha looked impressed, Bruce was looking between Steve, Tony, and Tania, and Clint was watching from the kitchen while flipping eggs in a pan. It was Tania and Steve versus Tony, and the billionaire appeared to be losing. Finally, after eons of silence, Tony sighed.

"Fine okay, I'm in a sour mood which you're obviously not used to which you should by the way, especially if you're going to live here."

"… I think that's as close to an apology as I'm going to get." Tania deadpanned, unhappy that he had ruined her good mood.

"You're right." Natasha admitted, nodding. "How are those eggs coming along?" she called to Clint in the kitchen, who started opening and closing cupboards.

"First come first serve." He answered back, sliding a plate onto the counter as Tony quickly stood up for what he assumed was his food, considering he owned the place and it technically and literally was his food. Everyone else grumbled quietly as Tony dug in. His mouth was full when Tania finally broke the silence.

"Fine. Dumbest apology ever has been accepted." Tony opened his mouth but she didn't let him say anything, especially not with food in his mouth. "Shut up Stark. You've done enough." He did so with a huff and continued eating.

The Avengers seemed impressed at Tania's way of dealing with the situation and praised her with nods and hums of approval. Tania sat up a little straighter. Four super heroes approved of her. That was just… beyond amazing.

"Order's up!" Clint shouted, tossing two more plates onto the counter. Steve got up and took them both, handing one to Tania who blushed slightly and thanked him, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. They ate in comfortable yet tense silence, munching carefully and thoughtfully. The Avengers slowly trickled out, Bruce and Tony went upstairs to work in the labs, Clint and Natasha were called in by S.H.I.E.L.D and Steve excused himself to go shower. Tania was left in the giant kitchen alone, not knowing what to do. What would she have done on a regular day? Probably read. But today was no regular day.

Well, not compared to the days where she lived in her apartment and worked for Potter Inc. She decided to explore the Tower. First things first. She walked into the elevator took out her phone, taking a picture of the map on the wall.

"Hey Jarvis?"

"Yes Ms. Banks?"

"Steve said you were an awful tour guide. Is that true?"

"That is what each Avenger has repeated."

"Well, since they're all busy, let's prove them wrong shall we?"

_Two hours later…_

"UGH! Jarvis! You are the worst tour guide ever!" Tania exclaimed, throwing herself onto her bed and groaning into her pillow.

"I tried to warn you Ms. Banks."

"NO YOU DIDN'T!" she screamed through the pillow, her voice muffled.

"Ms. Banks-"

"GO AWAY JARVIS!"

"But Ms. Banks-"

"MUTE!" The AI obeyed and Tania sighed in relief. The tour had been awful. JARVIS had kept on stating useless facts she already knew like "this is the kitchen" and "this if your floor" and "you have traveled to a total of four floors". She'd gotten lost twice and had even accidentally stepped in a bucket. Gosh that was embarrassing! She swore she heard JARVIS chuckle in the form of static.

Needless to say, she spent the rest of the day in the library reading.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N. Hey guys! Sorry I left you guys hanging for so long, I apologize. It's been a really busy week, but it's not so busy anymore yay! Also, this chapter is quite short and basically just filler, but it's super fluffy so I hope you guys enjoy xD and yes, before you ask, this story IS going somewhere (even though it doesn't look like it) I just want Tania to bond with each Avenger and make friends with all of them and really get the chance to actually take the time to fall in love/get to know Steve. Nothing rushed, but tell if you guys are getting bored and I'll add some random action to it. I'll find an excuse XD Hope you guys are still reading! Enjoy :D**

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next day was Monday, and it was back to work for the first time since moving into the Tower. Of course, the only who knew as such was Peter. Or at least… that's what she thought.

"Tania whatever the hell your middle name is Banks!" Drew exclaimed, stomping over to the clueless brunette. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you were so close to the Avengers that you're moving in with them?" she yelled, hands on her hips. Tania drew back a little bit.

"Um, because it's none of your business?" she glared at Peter. Drew noticed.

"Then why is Peter going around telling everyone! So it's his business but not mine? Are you super close with him too?"

"No it's not like that! I mean yeah, he and I are friends, but the only reason he knows is because he was there."

"He was where?"

"At the party the other night." Peter was gesturing frantically for her to shut up, but she just smirked. Payback time. "He was bartending for the Avengers." Everyone whipped around to face him just in time to see him slap his forehead. He glared at her and she returned it. John looked betrayed and shocked ad Drew and everyone else were staring at him incredulously. On onslaught of questions were being thrown at him from left, right, up, down, front, back, and center. It was rather amusing to watch.

Tania dropped her purse on the table and sat down at her spot as she started sketching billboard ideas and thinking of slogans or catch phrases. She spent the day like that, oblivious to her surroundings and feeling smug that Peter had gotten the short end of the stick (if that was how the saying went, she wasn't exactly sure…).

At the end of the day, Tania took the elevator to her floor and headed straight for her office, determined to play Angry Birds in holographic 3D. All of a sudden, her phone rang. Tania picked it up and pressed it to her ear as she let her hair loose and took off her shoes.

"Hello?"

"Hi Tania." Came Steve's voice through the tiny speaker. Tania smiled, unable to control the instinct around him. Even he wasn't technically around.

"Hey Steve, what's up?"

"Dinner's ready down here, we're all here except for Clint and Natasha."

Oh yeah, food. That existed. Tania's stomach rumbled. Traitor. She mouthed to it. Back to the phone. "Right, well, what are we having?" she asked as she slipped her shoes back on and removed her blazer, tossing it haphazardly onto the floor as she left the room.

"Pepper ordered Chinese."

"Ooh is it Dim Sum?"

"Is it what?"

"Never mind. I'll be right down, but after, you have to agree to come play Angry Birds with me in my office. It's gonna be so cool!"

He chuckled at her childlike enthusiasm and responded with, "Sure. Sounds fun." She was about to hang up when Steve said something that made her stop in her path to the elevator and think. "Goodbye Tania." There was a click and then he was gone.

Who says goodbye anymore? And why did we stop saying it? She pondered this as she continued her route to the kitchen, but all thoughts slipped from her mind when she saw Steve and the others sitting at the dining room table talking animatedly. "So it's basically E=mc squared, energy is equal to mass times-"

"Woah! Too much science-y talk." Tania exclaimed as she plopped down in the chair next to Bruce, who quickly slid his phone that he had used to show Steve something into his pocket and smiled at her. Okay, suspicious… Steve sat opposite her and Pepper on his left and Tony on hers. There were white takeout containers scattered along the table with dumplings, noodles, pork, everything you could think of was on that table. Pepper and Bruce were using chopsticks whereas Steve ad Tony were eating with forks. Tania reached for the chopsticks and dug in. "So I'm guessing you guys don't have seating arrangements or anything?"

"Nah," Tony piped up, mouth full of food, "we just kind of sit wherever."

"Interesting. Do you guys ever eat on the couch or in front of the TV or anything like that?"

"No. Pepper won't let us after what happened last time." Tony rolled his eyes and then yelped. Pepper looked innocent as an angel and acting as if they all hadn't heard a thump under the table.

"What happened last time?" Tania inquired, "Hey Pepper, do you think you could pass me the pork sau mai? It's my favourite."

"Sure." She answered, handing the brunette the box.

"Thanks." She sent her a grateful smile as she loaded her plate with more food. Tony then went on to explain how the Avengers had all been sitting in the lounge in front of the giant screen TV when Thor jumped up as something bothered him greatly on the screen, spilling everyone's food and knocking over the coffee table. Needless to say, that couch was no longer white. Tony had later coaxed Pepper to buy the same white couch if he promised to let anyone eat there, ever again. Tania was laughing along with everyone else as they retold stories of times she had missed, while in return, Tania told them about the adventures her brother and she had been on as kids and the things that were light hearted and funny, never delving too far into the serious. Those stories were the most she had every told anyone, and it was obvious she was warming up to them, and fast. "And that's how Graham got his head stuck in the toilet bowl." The table roared with laughter (luckily Thor wasn't there, or he might actually roared).

The food was long gone, the containers abandoned, their stomachs full. Pepper was actually crying she had laughed so hard, leaning into Tony for support as she held her middle, her face red. Tony wrapped an arm around her shoulders and continued to laugh as well, his face scrunched up with the effort of trying to hold it all back, but failing. Steve was pounding the table with his fist and Tania swore she would remember the sound his throat was currently making the rest of her laugh, regardless of whether or not she'd ever hear it again. Even Bruce was laughing louder than she had ever heard him say anything as he leaned his head back. Tania was extremely pleased, and tried to put the picture to memory, figuring she'd sketch it later for safe keeping.

After dinner, Steve and Tania had wandered up her office to play Angry Birds. Tania had thought she'd have to teach him, but he seemed to know what he was doing and was actually beating her by fifty points. He looked rather proud of himself. "How did you get so good so fast?" she asked him, punching him in the arm. He didn't seem to have noticed, but Tania quickly bit her lip to prevent the "OW!" from escaping. Steve grabbed hold of a bird about the size of a bowling ball with his two hands and walked backwards in the simulated green field, stretching the slingshot's elastic. He let go and the bird went flying into the structure full of pigs, knocking most of it down. He turned to her and shrugged bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"I had Bruce show me how to play." He admitted honestly. "I didn't want to look stupid." He looked down at the ground and then went to play his next turn, avoiding her gaze. Tania "ohhh" –ed in realization. That was what Bruce had been hiding. Well it was nice to know that he wasn't plotting against her or something. And then there was Steve, ever so sweet and just so adorable she wanted to pinch his cheeks sometimes! But of course, she'd never do that. Not in a million years. That would probably be the most embarrassing thing she would have ever done. So instead she chuckled.

"Silly Steve, you could never look stupid in front of me. I'll always think highly of you." He beamed like a little kid being told he'd done an amazing job at something and damn it if she didn't want to squeal and squeeze him to death right now. "But I'm still going to win." She smirked as she ran up to the building and knocked it down with her hands, laughing as it came crumbling down around her but going through her body so as not to harm her. When the smoke and dust was gone, she smiled triumphantly at Steve who just stood there in shock. He shook his head then smiled, then he ran over to her and threw her over his shoulder. Tania gasped as she was suddenly upside down. "Steve!" she cried out between laughs as he spun around, "Steve! Put me down!"

"Admit you cheated and that I won." He bargained, smirking at her.

"Never!" she pounded his back furiously, knowing it wouldn't hurt him.

"Alright, suit yourself!" he spun around again and she was getting seriously dizzy.

"Stop! Please!" her face was getting red from all the blood rushing to her head and from the laughter she was emitting. "I give up! You win!"

"Admit you cheated!" he threatened playfully.

"I didn't cheat! It was totally fair!" he jumped, pretending to drop her. She yelped and then began to pound his back again. "Okay, okay! I cheated! I cheated at the stupid game!"

"That's better." He set her down on her feet and she wobbled unsteadily, the room was spinning around her and her head felt kinda tingly. Steve quickly grabbed her arm and steadied her. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, all playfulness gone.

She nodded. "Yeah, just a little dizzy. I'll be fine in a sec. I just need to sit down." She sunk down against the wall next to her abandoned purse, shoes, and blazer, as well as his jacket and shoes that had been thrown there halfway through the game. She sighed as he sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and rested her head in the crook of his neck. He blushed, but she didn't see it, too blissfully dizzy and happy to notice. She hummed in contentment and shifted closer, making his blush deepen. They were officially snuggling. Tania decided not to think about the implications in order to avoid the heat that would no doubt rise to her cheeks when she did, instead choosing to fall asleep in his arms, totally one hundred percent happy. Well okay, maybe she didn't choose to fall asleep on him, it was just a fleeting thought before it actually happened.

Steve didn't notice until a few minutes later, when he tried to get her attention. "Tania?" no answer, just her long and deep breaths into his neck that he could smell. It smelled like Chinese food. He chuckled lightly and tried again, nudging her a tiny bit, but not really wanting to move. "Tania?" she twitched a little in her sleep, and then wrapped her arms around his neck. He flushed for a second before placing his arms gently beneath her knees and back, cradling her close to him as he stood up. "Jarvis?" he whispered, not taking his eyes away from her face.

"Yes Mr. Rogers?"

"Could you please turn off…" he didn't really know what to call the contraption in Tania's office, so he stumbled for the first word that came to mind. "the computer?"

"Of course sir." The room went dark, no longer illuminated by the colours of the holographic images. Steve walked up to the door and kicked it, causing it to open. He led her all the way to her room and set her down on the bed, bringing the blankets up to her chin. He kissed her head lovingly and stroked her hair, lingering a few seconds longer than he should have. With that, he left his friend for the night.


	15. Chapter 15

**A.N. Hey y'all! What's up? This chapter is one of my longer ones, I was going to make it longer but I found the perfect place to split it and though "why not?" Next chapter is where something actually happens! :O Say what? An actual event? Yeah, that should be coming soon. In the mean time, hope you guys enjoy this one :D**

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The rest of the week passed like that, with Tania's coworkers acting all suspicious and observing of her actions, with her and the Avengers getting closer and closer together with each passing day. On Tuesday, the team had gotten together for dinner and then decided to go out for dessert.  
Natasha had returned on Wednesday, but not Clint. She said that he'd had some loose ends to take care of and that her own work was done and that he would be back the next day. An hour later, Tony was giving Tania a real tour of the Tower that was much better than when she had tried with JARVIS. The two had bantered back and forth and teased each other mercilessly. Tony had long gotten over the anger from his fight with Steve as if it had never happened, and Tania was grateful. Jackass Tony was a pain.

On Thursday, Clint surprised entering the lounge from the window. Tania had nearly had a heart attack and had very nearly done a spit take, but she held it back, which caused her to choke on her water. Steve had patted her back several times, trying to help. After having Thai food on the couch (yes, it was big enough to seat all of them) like the Big Bang Theory cast, Tania had invited them to her floor to watch a movie on the 3D TV, to which they all accepted, some more grudgingly than others. They ended up with a horror movie that wasn't all that scary to any of them; except maybe Pepper, who hadn't fought off aliens less than two months before. She remained buried in Tony's chest since the first ten minutes of the movie.

On Friday, Pepper and Tania got together to walk to Natasha's room and invite her to go shopping with them the next day. Pepper had knocked on the door and not three seconds later it flew open, revealing Natasha dressed in yoga pants and a grey T-shirt with her hair in a ponytail. Tania had asked if she wanted to join them, and after much silence, the assassin told them "maybe" before giving them a tiny smile and closing the door. That was the day Pepper told Tania that Clint was on the same floor, though he lived in a different room. That was also the day Tania spotted the gold letters on their doors: Natashalie and Legolas.

Finally, it was Saturday. The days Tania had been waiting for all week. At work, her coworkers kep questioning her like it was any of their business and giving odd and dirty looks. Mindy especially had been giving her some mean glares and Tania found that Drew was drifting away from her and talking more and more about Akio, the guy she had accidentally replaced. The work itself was something she enjoyed, the people there? Not so much.

Anyway, on Saturday, Tania woke up with a smile on her face. She'd had a nice dream about getting the power to imitate anything she saw and joining the Avengers with her own super hero costume, name, and everything. She was also looking forward to shopping with Pepper and maybe even Natasha. She didn't even yawn as she stepped out of bed and onto the floor to stretch a little bit.

"Good morning Ms. Banks." JARVIS greeted her the second her feet hit the floor. Tania smile and tilted her head from side to side, stretching her neck.

"Good morning Jarvis. What's the weather like today?"

"It is currently twenty eight degrees Celsius, eighty two point four degrees Fahrenheit and sunny with a twelve percent chance of clouds." The A.I. responded mechanically as her blinds opened seemingly by themselves to reveal that he was indeed telling the truth. The sunlight filtered into her room and the brightness didn't even bother her as she sighed contentedly. It was going to be a good day.

"Thank you Jarvis."

"Anytime Ms. Banks."

"You know you can call me Tania."

"As I said before, I am programmed to address everyone by their surnames and function as a butler, and no good butler would call anyone by their first names."

"Hm. Good point."

"I do try."

Tania got dressed for the day in jean shorts, a mustard yellow button up T-shirt with four pockets over top of a white camisole paired with white flats and a white leather purse that she slung over her head so that it rested against her left hip. Her hair was in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck and she wore a yellow and blue headband to tie together her outfit. Pepper had lent her some of her clothes for the time being because she believed that Tania's wardrobe was "astoundingly tiny and unacceptable", this outfit being one of them. She would return the clothes after their shopping trip though.

Tania grabbed her cell phone, wallet, keys (despite not needing a house or car key, she still had a mailbox as well as locker in her work place for things like sketches and graphs), a pack of gum, etc. and made her way out the door. She grimaced at the pink around her and made a mental note to buy paint at the mall.

She entered the elevator and pressed the floor number for the kitchen for breakfast, but it stopped two floors below her, and Natasha and Clint entered the tiny box with her. Tania hadn't seen Natasha since she had asked her about the shopping trip, so she hoped she could get an answer out of her as the elevator continued its descent. The red head appeared to have had the same idea.

"G'Morning Tania." She greeted nodding her head in the brunette's direction. Clint waved at her before stuffing his hands in the pockets of his sweat pants.

"Hi Tania." He said cheerfully. Tania grinned at both of them.

"Good morning guys, how did you sleep?"

"Fine, thank you." Natasha replied easily. There was a beat of silence before she started up again. "I'm coming."

"Pardon?" Tania said, not one hundred percent sure what she was talking about. You could never be too sure… right?

"Shopping. I'm coming shopping." She sent a look to Clint that Tania couldn't really decipher but resembled something along the lines of "I'm going to get you for this". Deciding not to think about it too hard, Tania smiled.

"Great! We're leaving right after breakfast, so grab whatever you need and we'll get going. We're going to the Manhattan Mall via Pepper and Tony's chauffeur; Happy I think his name was."

"It is."

"Oh good, I remembered." The doors opened and the trio stepped out, with Clint being the gentleman and letting the ladies go first. They all took their seats at the table where Steve and Bruce were reading separate newspapers and sitting where they had been the first time Tania had had breakfast at Avengers Tower. Tania decided to sit in between them at the head to the far right while Clint sat next to Bruce and across from Natasha who was on Steve's left. Tony and Pepper were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey everyone." She greeted. Steve shot her a smile and Bruce said a tentative "hey" back. Tania was in such a good mood that she didn't think anything could bring her down, not even if she had to cook her own breakfast and ended up sparking a fire that burnt the entire meal. Nope. Life was good, so please don't let Tony ruin the moment – again.

"So apparently, Tony and Pepper were so loud last night that the paparazzi heard from all the way down below and decided to publish an article on it." Bruce tossed the newspaper on the table where there was a giant photo of the Tower and a smaller photo of Pepper and Tony getting into a limo in the corner. The headline read "RED HOT CHILI PEPPER USES STARK TO GET TO THE TOP?". It a rather wordy title. Clint snorted while Natasha, Steve, and Tania rolled their eyes. The elevator dinged and Bruce and Steve quickly threw the papers underneath the table, resting their elbows above it and trying to act nonchalant. Tania had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from laughing at what they thought looked "nonchalant".

"Bullshit." Tony said, striding to the table with Pepper at his side. Tony sat at the other head of the table and Pepper sat on his right between him and Natasha. "We're not that loud." He claimed, tossing his phone to the middle of the table so the rest of the Avengers (and Tania) could see the exact same article on the holographic screen. Tania couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. Steve soon joined, then followed by Clint and Bruce and even Natasha with a bit of chuckling. Tony and Pepper gave them all confused looks. "Okay, is there some sort of conspiracy against me that I don't know about?"

"Trust me Stark, if there was, you'd know." Clint shot back, causing the laughter to continue. Tony scoffed.

"If I knew, I'd either be dead, or they would be. And I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure it's the second option."

"Whatever you say."

Tony glared at him, but didn't say a word. Pepper turned to Natasha in the hopes of starting a new conversation. "So will you be joining us today Natasha?"

The female assassin nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming." She shot Clint another unreadable glare of some sort that Tania was able to pick up on. The male assassin only shrugged with a smirk on his face.

"Perfect! I guess I'll get started on the cooking." She stood up and made her way towards the kitchen. "What does everybody want?" she called over her shoulder as she stood behind the counter and started searching through cupboards. The entire floor was open concept, so she could still see the table despite technically being in another room.

"Omelettes!" Tania piped up.

"I second that." Steve said, raising his arm slightly.

"Third." Bruce agreed.

"Fourth." Clint.

"Fifth." Natasha.

"I'm in the mood for quiche, is anyone else in the mood for quiche? Let's have quiche. Pepper! Make quiche." Of course that would be Tony.

"Sorry honey, majority rules." Pepper told him sweetly as she turned on the stove. Tony muttered under his breath. "What does everybody want on their omelettes?" she asked the group.

"Cheddar cheese!"

"Onions."

"Red Peppers." Tony chimed in, causing Pepper to smile at him sweetly.

"Green Peppers."

"Mushrooms."

"Eggs."

"Seriously Clint?"

"What?" he asked innocently. Natasha smacked his arm from across the table. "Ow!"

"Oh come on, we both know that didn't hurt."

"Just 'cause I've had worse, doesn't mean it didn't hurt."

"Whatever Barton." Natasha leaned back in her chair just as Tony kicked his feet onto the table. Tania wrinkled her nose.

"Ew, what did you to your feet, experiment on them with skunk juice?" she asked, plugging her nose comically despite being the farthest person from Tony not counting Pepper. Bruce laughed for unknown reasons. Probably because he actually did know what Tony did in his lab all day.

Clint waved the air in front of his face as well. "Seriously, did Pepper work you that hard last night? You could have at least had a shower."

Tony shot him a glare and Pepper flushed a bright red. Tony grudgingly took his feet off the wooden table and placed both his palms flat on the surface. Before he could even open his mouth, Natasha cut him off. "Don't even bother Stark, even the Paparazzi knows how you get in bed."

Steve was trying desperately not to blush, but it wasn't really working. He could at least hide the pink from Tony to avoid teasing though. But Tania still caught sight of it as well as Bruce, but they didn't say anything.

"You should all just stay the hell out of our sex life." He pointed an accusing finger at each and every one of them, accompanied by a heavy glare. Tania just laughed it off.

"Whatever Tony, we'll stay out of yours if you stay out of ours." Everyone stared at her with looks ranging from embarrassment to shock to amusement. "What? Don't tell that you're all virgins. I mean, one or two of you I'd understand, but seriously? No one?"

There was silence. This was apparently a touchy subject that everyone was awkwardly trying to skirt around. Tania was perfectly fine talking things like that if she was comfortable with the people talking, it wasn't really embarrassing. Well, if you asked her about her ex-boyfriends she'd clam up like a shell, but other than that, sex was a topic she wasn't afraid to converse about. Unless of course it became awkward. Which it was. She began to blush furiously at what she'd said at such an apparently inappropriate time.

She looked at Steve, who had his head bowed and was staring at the table like it could give him the secrets to the universe. His face was red as could be. She knew he was a virgin and she totally understood. Being frozen in ice not long after kissing the love of your life for the first time didn't exactly give you much to work with.

She turned to Bruce who was also blushing and cleaning his glasses despite the fact they hadn't needed cleaning. She didn't know much about the scientist, but she knew he hadn't been the Hulk forever. He had gotten his "condition" several years ago, which still left quite a bit of room for relationships and such.

Tania had recently come to the conclusion that Clint and Natasha had a very special bond, one which included sex. They read each other's minds and facial expressions with practiced ease, spoke to each other in foreign languages and hushed whispers, were more comfortable with each other than any other Avenger was with anyone else, save maybe Tony and Pepper.

And Tony… well, he was Tony. She'd read some of the articles, she'd seen the photos and watched the news occasionally. It wasn't hard to tell that he wasn't a virgin by any means.

Tania herself wasn't a virgin, having lost her virginity sometime in college that she_ r__eally_ didn't want to think about right now. Shaking her head clear of thoughts of her daunting past, she finally spoke again, hoping to clear the air of the awkwardness and tension. "Okay, if you're going to kill me, I'd like it to be quick and painless." She deadpanned, hoping to get a laugh from someone – anyone. Luckily, Clint shook his head and chuckled.

"I'd fist pump you, but you're too far." He stated, holding up his fist in demonstration. He and Tania then proceeded to perform a fist bump without actually touching each other, instead miming it to one another from across the table.

"I'm glad someone has a sense of humour around here." She commented, looking at the others. "Guys, I didn't mean to make it awkward or anything. You can change the subject now if it makes or uncomfortable or anything. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault Tania," Bruce confirmed. "but I don't think some of us are ready to tell you anything yet."

"That's fine."

"Someone's omelette's ready!" Pepper cried from the kitchen. Tony leapt from his seat and retrieved the food in a desperate attempt to escape the awkwardness still lingering in the dining room. He wrapped his arms around Pepper's waist from behind buried his face in her neck.

"Save me Pepper." He whimpered so that only she could hear. She patted his arm and kissed the top of his head.

"Oh Tony, you don't need me to get out of this. It's your Tower. Just start a new conversation."

With what his girlfriend had said to him in mind, Tony took the plate back the table and sat down. "So how 'bout them Giants?"

An hour and a half later, Natasha, Pepper, and Tania made their way down to the lobby after saying goodbye to the boys. Tania had made Steve promise not to let Tony or anyone else do anything stupid while they were gone before kissing him on the cheek as thanks for agreeing. Her feelings for him were growing each day – if only she were conscious of it.

When the three girls reached the front doors, a black stretch limo pulled up as if on cue, and a slightly chubby man dressed in a business suit and chauffeur hat came out of the driver's side of the vehicle. He tipped his hat at them.

"G'morning Pepper. Nice to see you again Natalie."

"Actually, I go by Natasha now."

Happy raised his eyebrows but didn't ask. "Right, Natasha. And good morning to you Ms. Banks."

"You can call me Tania."

"Of course. Nice to meet you Miss."

"Likewise."

Happy opened the passenger door for the three women and Pepper stepped, followed by Natasha and Tania. The door was closed behind them and Happy re-entered the car in the driver's seat. "Where to, Pepper?"

"The Manhattan Mall Please. We're having a girls day."

"Alright-y then. To the mall it is."

With that, the limo took off. Tania turned to Natasha, who was sitting between her and Pepper in the roomy vehicle. "Natalie?"

The assassin looked at her, displaying nothing in her face or eyes. "I worked undercover at Stark Tower once. That was my alias."

"And your cover was blown?"

"No. I completed my mission and then had to reveal who I was on orders."

"So if you'd had a choice, you never would have revealed your identity?"

Natasha shrugged. "It would have happened anyway with the Avengers Initiative."

"Hm. Cool."

"It's my turn to question you." Tania was a bit surprised at this, but complied none the less. "What are your intentions towards Rogers?"

Tania blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me."

"My… intentions?"

"Yes, your intentions."

"He's like my best friend."

"That's all?"

"I… yes."

"And you trust him?"

"… yes."

"Then what aren't you telling him?"

"What?"

"I can tell you're holding something back from him and it's slowly eating you from the inside out. What is it? I won't tell him if that's what you're afraid of." She leaned towards the brunette just a little bit, but enough to be intimidating.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Tania exclaimed, shifting away from her some. Natasha searched her eyes for any signs of a lie, but all she found was confusion. Satisfied, the Black Widow pulled back.

"Fine. You'll figure it out one day." She leaned forward, "Hogan. Water." A water bottle was tossed back through the tiny window between driver and passengers that Natasha caught with expert timing. "Thanks." She unscrewed the cap and took a swig.

Tania took that time to collect herself and search for the happy mood she had been in when she woke up. It wasn't that hard to find, after all it was buried just beneath the surface of her fear and confusion: light layers that dissolved easily. She cleared her throat.

"So, what made you choose to come with us today Natasha?"

"Let's just say that I need to get a few things."

"Alright." She wasn't going to push, if the S.H.I.E.L.D agent didn't want to talk, Tania certainly wasn't going to try to make her. She decided instead to address Pepper, who had been left out of the conversation. The CEO was currently typing madly on her phone. "Unless you're texting Tony about reminding him to eat, no phones."

It took a second for Pepper to realize that Tania was talking to her and she looked up, snapping her cell shut with an audible click. She stuffed it in her purse. "Fine, you caught me. I was doing work." Tania glared playfully and Pepper smiled, raising her arms in defense. "What? I can't help it! There's just so much work to be done still. Being CEO of a giant company is a never ending job that will swallow you whole. I don't recommend becoming one unless your boss whom you're secretly in love with offers you the promotion out of the blue."

Tania laughed. "Yeah, I certainly don't plan on becoming one. But you do a fantastic job Pepper, don't ever quit. Unless, you know, you get too old or have kids or something."

"Don't worry, neither of those are happening any time soon. Well, we don't plan on it anyway."

"Never?"

"Well… I don't know about never. It's just… not something we've discussed as of yet. I mean, we're not even married. We've only been dating for a short time compared to most couples and if we had a kid the press would have a cow! Not to mention that my parents would kill me for not marrying the guy first."

"I hear ya. My parents would always be on my back about finding the right guy to settle down with and then becoming a housewife and blah, blah, blah." This was the most about her past she had ever told anyone – ever. It was just a sign that she was growing to trust Earth's Mightiest Heroes (and their girlfriend[s]) as time passed. Realizing as such, Tania clamped her mouth shut. Shutting people out of her old life was her specialty, she practically lived for it, for blocking out the memories she didn't want to remember.

Before she could wind herself into a downward spiral of depression, Natasha spoke. "As a trained assassin at a young age, I was told never to get married, never to get attached, never to have children or make contact with any family members or anything." Her eyes glossed over, as if she was recalling another time, much different than the present.

There was a silence that lasted the entire length of the car ride as they contemplated what she said. But it was broken the second they stepped outside and into the heat of NYC just outside the mall entrance.

"Thank you Happy." The girls chorused as he leaned out the window and saluted them his farewell.

"Call me if you need another lift!" he shouted as he started to drive away. The trio waved until he was completely out of sight, then turned to face the giant building full of stores.

"Well," Pepper started, "let's get shopping!" the two red heads and the brunette entered the mall each with different thoughts and opinions about how the afternoon was going to go. In the end, they were all right.

From ten 'til noon, they walked around the same floor and Tania did most of the trying on and modeling, though Pepper did join her several times when she saw something she thought would look funny or cute. They finally managed to coax Natasha to try on a sun dress they thought would look good on her; and it did! Though she flat out refused to buy it, saying "It's not my style." And "Where would I where this?" and "There are too many flowers.". Tania and Pepper ended up buying quite a few things, with the CEO insisting on paying for half of Tania's "new wardrobe". Natasha bought a few things from Lulu Lemon and at noon they all settled down in the cafeteria for lunch.

The red heads split a large order of sushi while Tania ended up having a burger and fries with a large soda. Needless to say, that later on she had to go to the bathroom really badly. But for dessert, they shared an extra-large frozen yogurt between the three of them. Not long after, Natasha's phone beeped in her pocket. She pulled it out and pressed it to her ear as they walked.

"Yes?" she paused, "I'm on my way." She hung up and stopped walking, causing the other two to follow suit. Natasha turned to her two "friends". "I have to go. These things could pop up at any time." Being in public, Natasha was very careful with her wording, but both Tania and Pepper knew exactly what she was talking about. Sort of.

"We understand," Pepper reassured, somewhat disappointed, "we'll buy you something nice."

Natasha stopped fumbling through her purse for her com and looked up at her, slight surprise on her face. "You don't have to do that-"

"Don't be ridiculous! I have Tony Stark's credit card. Won't feel good using his money for your own gain?" she winked at her and Natasha seemed to be contemplating it.

"Fine. But nothing girly. And make it expensive." She added as an afterthought. Both girls laughed, and when they stopped she was nowhere to be seen.

"Woah… that's kind of creepy but also insanely cool at the same time."

"So… what do you think we should get her?"

"I don't know, but I'm almost glad she's gone."

"Tania!"

"I said almost! I like her and enjoyed having her around and everything, but she was kind of a Debby Downer."

Pepper whacked Tania's arm with one of her shopping bags. "Shush! She could hear you!"

"Ow! And yeah, you're right. I'll stop now."

"Good, but seriously, what are we going to get her?"

While Tania and Pepper had been laughing, Natasha looked around her for any witnesses (she saw none) before grabbing a nearby pole and flipping so that her legs wound around it and she was upside down facing away from it. She then let go with her hands and used her upper body strength to right herself and grab hold of the pole once again. She did this several times until she reached the second floor, where she leapt over the railing and into fake shrub in a pot, barely rustling it. She waited with bated breath.

"You like them." Clint's voice whispered to her as he appeared from behind the leaves to her right, his faces inches from hers in their tiny hiding spot. Natasha scowled.

"No I don't."

"You wouldn't be trying to spare their feelings if you didn't." She had nothing to say to that. Clint smirked and continued. "You send me a text message saying 'help me' and there I was, all ready to kill someone if I had to, when all you wanted me to do was call you pretending to be S.H.I.E.L.D so that you could leave a shopping trip without hurting your friends' feelings."

"They're NOT my friends." She hissed, her hand twitching for her gun at her hip that she didn't have. She did have a knife though, in the heel of her boot. Clint didn't flinch, knowing full well that she wouldn't use either.

"Come on Tasha, don't deny that they're growing on you. Especially Pepper. You guys are girls! … if that makes sense. Don't you have some sort of special bond? You know, sugar and spice and everything nice and all that crap?"

She shot him a glare that could kill a coward, but he wasn't one. He was immune. "You know full well what I'm made of Barton, and that sure as hell isn't it."

"Whatever you say dear." The next time someone saw Clint, he had a purple and black bruise on the side of face.


	16. Chapter 16

**A.N. Hello! So warning, there's some heavy swearing. In my opinion, anyway. Other than that, I won't spoil you all with little details and just let you read. Enjoy :D**

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tania and Pepper walked around the mall for another hour; their feet were hurting and aching as well as their arms from carrying their shopping bags around all day.

"We should have made Happy carry around our bags." Tania grumbled, wobbling unsteadily as she tried to balance out the weight on each arms.

Pepper laughed. "Nah, I wouldn't have made him do that."

"Maybe you wouldn't but I would."

She laughed again, then sighed. "I can't believe we've been searching for the better part of an hour for Natasha's gift and haven't found a thing!"

"Well it's not like we know her all that well, so we can't really figure out what she likes. All we know is that she does a bunch of classified stuff."

"Pretty much. Maybe we can narrow it down from the stuff she doesn't like."

"Good idea. Okay, so she doesn't want anything girly."

"Right. I'm also pretty sure that she wouldn't appreciate clothes."

"We obviously can't buy her weapons."

"Obviously, and jewelry probably falls under the "girly" category. What about home décor stuff? I've never been in her room but from the glances

I've seen it's pretty scarce."

"That's smart."

"I guess Tony's been rubbing off on me." She shrugged despite the weight pulling down on her arms and shoulders.

Tania snorted. "God I hope not. The last thing we need is another Tony Stark."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the world can only handle one stark at a time."

"That would make the most sense. Okay, I'm pretty sure the home décor store is on the other side of the mall, so let's buck and keep going."

"Alright, but after this, we are so going to the spa."

"Oh yeah."

The pair made their way to the other end of the mall, barely holding back groans of pain and exhaustion. They were definitely going to the spa that afternoon. When they finally made it to the store, they marched right in, not exactly sure what to look for.

"Shall we split up?" Tania suggested.

Pepper shook her head. "Nah, I'm going to want your opinion on everything I think might be good for Natasha and I can't get that if you're on the other end of the store."

"You're right. Well, I guess we should start looking."

They started from the far left and worked their way down the aisles and around displays slowly in the other direction, scanning all the products on shelves and on stands. It took them a good twenty minutes to find it. It was perfect. With a whoop of relief and excitement, Tania and Pepper rushed it to the cash. It was surprisingly expensive for a tiny little thing. Oh well, Natasha had specified that it be expensive anyway. Pepper stuffed it in one of the shopping bags and they tried and failed to high five while still carrying the shopping bags.

"Well that was lame."

"Yes it was." Pepper agreed. They headed straight for the exit, yearning to be outside and free of the soreness from their shoulders and soles of their feet. There was a bench not too far from the doors and Pepper plopped all her bags down on it, Tania following suit. "I'm going to call Happy to help us load this into the limo. I'll be right back." The red head stated, brandishing her phone from her pocket.

Tania nodded and pointed towards the outside. "I'm just gonna get some fresh air." The CEO smiled and sat down while Tania strode for the doors, freedom just within reach. When they automatically opened for her, she immediately took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, listening to the honking of cars in the city streets and bustling of people scurrying around. Footsteps were just barely audible or hundreds of people milling about, talking in different languages, though mostly English. There was a slight breeze and she followed it, slowly walking down the sidewalk against the building so that anyone inside the mall couldn't see her through the transparent doors.

That was when she started choking. The purse that had been resting comfortably over her shoulder had been yanked with great strength, sliding up to her neck and restricting her air ways. Panicking, Tania whipped around so that the strap was wrapped behind her neck and faced her attacker. It was a person dressed all in black with a ski mask and sunglasses pulling on her white purse. Not an inch of skin was visible beneath the baggy clothing.

Heart pounding and working on instinct, Tania wrapped her right arm around the straps and pulled back; but he was stronger than she anticipated and she stumbled forward, getting her close enough for him to punch her with his right hand straight across the face. Rearing back, the strap snapped in two and she fell harshly to the pavement. The left side of her face stung brutally, and it tingled as if she had pins and needles, only more painful.

She turned back to the robber, who appeared to be in some state of shock. He recovered quickly and turned to bolt, but before he could, Tania pushed herself from the ground – ignoring the stinging of her right forearm and legs from the scrapes produced by her fall – and lunged for him before he could get far. With a grunt, she knocked him to the ground, feeling the adrenaline course through her faster than wildfire.

The thief tried to elbow her in the face but he missed, and she took that time to yell for help. She sucked in a deep breath. "HE'S TRYING TO STEAL MY PURSE!" If the fact that she was dominating a battle in front of a mall entrance didn't demand enough attention, her shout had definitely accumulated the number of eyes staring at her with curiousity, fear, disgust, worry, and many other things. A couple of men ran up to help her, grabbing her by the arms to lift her off of the attacker she wanted another swing at. She had her wallet in there, as well as her keys, cell phone, a couple of her smaller purchases, and a brand new book. No one. Messed. With her books. She was also extremely angry that she was bloody and bruised and she struggled against the grips of the men trying to help her. A third party managed to grab her purse for her before the robber shoved him into the second guy and disappeared, leaving only an cloud of dust in the shape of his body in his wake.

"Are you alright miss?" One of the guys asked, holding onto her arm and staring into her eyes, probably looking for a concussion. Tania shook her head and yanked her arm away. She began to dust herself off as the third man held out her purse. She took it gratefully and slung it over her shoulder.

"Thank you." She told them honestly. They nodded at her. The man who spoke first opened his mouth again, but was interrupted when Tania suddenly had an armful of Pepper.

"Tania! Oh my gosh are you alright? What happened? Oh you're bleeding!" the red head unwound her arms from the other girl's torso and examined Tania's forearm that was lightly scraped and bleeding. She pulled back lightly, grumbling.

"It's fine Pepper, really."

"But your eye-"

"Is fine!" she hissed at her best friend, who took a step back. Tania immediately regretted her tone, but couldn't bring herself to take it back. Probably something to do with pride. Her gaze hardened and she could feel her walls coming up, brick by brick. So much for a good day. She adjusted the strap of her purse as if paranoid someone would snatch it again. No one could blame her. "Let's go get our bags and just go home."

After a couple seconds of Pepper's hesitant and concerned gaze, she nodded. "Happy's parked around front."

"Good." By then, a large crowd had surrounded the pair and the three men had disappeared from sight, blending in with the other citizens like needles in a haystack. Tania barely gave them a second glance as she spun on her heel and strode for door to the mall, hands clenched around the strap of her purse like a lifeline. Pepper followed a step behind, a little scared of her friend. She'd never seen Tania so angry, cold, and distant. She had no idea what to do.

When the two girls finally made it to the other side of the mall carrying their purchases, the silence had stretched on for infinity. Outside, Happy emerged from the limo and rushed to them.

"Are you two okay?"

"We're fine, happy." Tania said, ice lacing her barely concealed venom. He blinked at her, not realizing her anger.

He whistled. "That's quite a shiner you have there." He pointed to her eye and Tania slapped a hand over it self-consciously, only serving to feed the fire of pain and she hissed, then blushed. It was the first sign that she was calming down, and Pepper took that as an excuse to try again with the medical attention.

"Tania, at least let me get you an ice pack from the cooler. We have one in the limo, right Happy?" she looked to her chauffeur/friend hopefully and he nodded eagerly, having finally caught on.

"Oh yeah, I can get it to you faster than you can say my name."

"Happy Hogan."

"… okay that wasn't fair."

Tania let a small giggle escape her lips before she sighed. "Fine. Lay it on me." Happy complied and fetched her an ice pack and a glass of champagne.

"You deserve it. Besides, you're not the one driving." He winked and then left for the driver's seat. The two women slid into the back without a word, Pepper sending worried glances toward her friend every so often. After a few minutes of silent driving, Tania spoke up.

"I guess this means no spa day?" she asked hopefully. Pepper looked at her with a look that clearly said "Ya think?". Tania sighed again and leaned her head against the window to her right. "Of course." She whispered, mainly to herself. Pepper still heard.

When they reached the Tower, Tania prayed that she could escape to her room unnoticed – no such luck. Pepper had all but dragged her to the lounge, where Steve was currently "lounging" and sketching on the couch with his feet on the ottoman. When he heard the elevator's chime, he turned to see who had arrived, expecting maybe Clint or Tony and Bruce. But no, what did come through the door made him gasp and toss his sketchbook aside as if it were trash in his haste to get to her.

Pepper removed the ice pack and Tania cringed. Attention. Not something she wanted right now. She stepped back into the elevator, but Steve was faster, slipping in with her at warp speed, with Pepper moving aside to make more space for his muscled frame. He placed both hands on her shoulders and examined her eyes and face, softly taking her chin and moving her head to look at it from different angles. Her eye had swollen and gone dark, giving her a nasty black eye.

He swallowed. "What happened?" he asked, anger and concern seeping through his voice. Tania narrowed her eyes. Was the anger directed at her or at who had done this to her? There was no sure way to tell. She shrugged him off and stepped back. The doors dinged, signaling they were closing. Pepper slipped out at the last second with one last apologetic glance, leaving Tania alone with Steve in an enclosed space. She'd have to get her back for that later.

"I fell." It wasn't a total lie. The guy had punched her, and she fell.

"Yeah right."

"I did!"

"Tania, who did this to you?" he whispered, almost growling. His face was so close to hers, just inches away. She could feel the vibrations from him, shaking in anger that rolled off his body in waves like he could explode at any second. If he were Bruce, that might have scared her. But it was Steve, and Steve would never hurt her. Not intentionally, anyway.

"No one. I'm fine." She reached behind him and pressed the button for her floor, avoiding his gaze. Even so, she could feel it on her back as she faced away from him.

"Tania… tell me. Please." He sounded so lost, so pleading, so much like a lost puppy whimpering and begging to be fed that she almost gave in, almost broke down crying right there sobbing into his chest like a weak idiot. But she didn't. She held herself together with the glue of her pride and the mortar of her brick walls that even Steve could see she had put up.

He felt shut out, abandoned, kicked out unexpectedly. Need he go on? He grabbed her hand. She didn't pull away. He had to be cautious with his, he was treading on unknown territory and anything could happen. But nothing was going to stop him from trying to save her, from breaking down those walls even if he had to do it by hand. Because he needed her, she had become a part of his life that he couldn't give up, couldn't think about living without her. She was always there, somewhere. If she were to leave… to change… to disappear… he didn't know what he would do. He couldn't lose her, not like this, certainly not ever. He refused to.

With that in mind, he spoke carefully and gently, hoping to soothe her into confession. "Tania, why won't you tell me? You do trust me, right?" Yes, he knew that was a low blow and missed her wince, but he also knew that he was running out of tactics. Her floor was fast approaching, and once she made it into her room, she would be gone, the connection currently between them severed the second the door closed. There was always tomorrow, but tomorrow wouldn't be much different, he knew. So it was now or never.

Tania stood stock still, contemplating what he'd said. Of course she trusted him, but did she trust him that much? She had yet to tell him anything about her past, and she kept berating herself about it. Maybe she did so, because she was ready to tell him. Was that true? Could she really trust him? Let him in when no one else had ever known her deepest darkest secrets besides Graham? She turned, ever so slowly. She took one look into his deep blue eyes and it was like the answer to life, the universe, and everything was conveyed there, buried deep in the ocean blue. Yes, yes she could.

But then the elevator lurched to a stop, and the doors opened. She was faced with a choice, a metaphorical fork in the road. She could walk away and keep to herself, she wouldn't have to reveal anything to him, wouldn't have to let anybody in for fear of rejection, of heart break, of betrayal. Or she could stay here, with him, and trust him fully and completely and let him see her at her weakest, at her most vulnerable. She looked back and forth between the hallway and Steve several times, before lightly pushing past him and onto her floor just as the tears finally fell.

Two hours later, curled in a ball on a bean bag chair in her library, Tania sat there reading a book. Her stomach growled, begging to be fed, but she ignored it and flipped the page. She was lost, lost in the world of fantasy and magic and perfect romances that could never be true. She read of heroines saving the day and coming out relatively unscathed, she read tragedies where the heroines died saviours. Neither of them helped. Still, it was a welcome distraction from her own life, from her own problems and worries and fears.

She couldn't ignore it forever, she knew that, yet she carried on with what was probably a useless strategy that would only end up leaving her heartbroken, aching for the real thing she craved in those stories. A happy ending. It was cliché and cheesy as fuck, but she was in a sour mood, and she was most honest when in a sour mood. She also tended to swear when she was in a sour mood – deal with it.

A happy ending promised… well… happiness. It promised love, eternal commitment, someone who would never betray you, never leave you, never hurt you. It promised protection, it promised lack of danger and drama and promised normalcy. It promised perfection. She wanted it, she wanted it more than anything. But most of all, she wanted a happy ending… without fear. She didn't like being scared, in fact, she HATED it. It shook her to her core when she let it, and she always felt it deep in her bones no matter the mood. It was always there, somewhere in the back of her mind, that he could leave her. Steve had the power to do more damage than she had ever thought any could ever do to her, and he hadn't let her down – yet. It was only a matter of time before she was kicked out, and if she was being completely honest with herself, that was the reason she had delayed putting her apartment on the market. She would need it when the move evidently came, when the Avengers got sick of her and forced her out.

Somewhere, in the rational part of her brain, she knew that that was such a small possibility, so miniscule it couldn't possibly happen, but there was a chance; a chance she had chosen to take despite the consequences. It was her decision and she was suffering from it. She needed assurance, she needed absolute certainty. But she couldn't get that, couldn't convince Stark to promise to let her live with him forever. Well okay, maybe not forever, but for a few years until she got her own place.

What was the point of moving in anyway? She was just going to move out later. She couldn't live there forever, there was no reason. To be closer to her friend(s), WHAT KIND OF FUCKING REASON IS THAT? She was a wimp, a pussy, a fucking pansy! Why would they want to keep her there, in the same building as them, if they could be rid of her so easily, like a snap of the fingers. She could make him sign a contract, but how ridiculous would that look?

She shook her head and closed her book, sighing as she bookmarked the page carefully and placed it back on the shelf. She had gotten distracted by her thoughts, again. For once, books couldn't help her. Her stomach grumbled again and she glared at it, feeling stupid and petty for hiding from people who were supposedly her friends.

She was being stupid. That was what it was. They wouldn't kick her out, they didn't know she still owned the apartment, still paid its rent. They wouldn't make her live on the streets, they weren't cruel. She had let her memories and past get the best of her, again. Why couldn't she get it through her head? She had great friends and an amazing living space! What else could she possibly need that wasn't already provided? She had a perfectly happy life right now, why was she sulking?

The stinging in her left eye was brought to attention and she whimpered. Oh yeah, that's why. She touched it lightly, her fingers cold against her skin as she traced it. It was roughly the size of a baseball, and she had yet to look in a mirror but she could bet that was pretty dark. It was very hard to see out of that eye, but she managed.

Her internal struggle for domination of her emotions and thoughts came to a sudden halt when JARVIS' voice cut through the room like a knife through butter. She even jumped. "Ms. Banks, the Avengers request your presence in the lounge immediately."

Tania groaned and threw her head back. Ow! Ow. Okay, not a good idea. She slowly lifted it back up. "Tell them no."

Silence. "They would like to me to inform you, and mind you these are not my words, to 'get your ass down here or we'll come and get it'."

Tania snorted, but she didn't feel like laughing. Not in the least. "Let me guess, Stark?"

"You are correct."

"I know I am. Why do they want me?"

"Well, not only is it time for dinner, but you are on the news."

That caught Tania's attention. She sat bolt upright, fully alert. "I'm on the news?"

"Yes Miss."

"And the Avengers are watching it? All of them? Including Pepper?"

"That is correct."

"Oh God." Tania pushed herself up and ran for the door. Within minutes, she was stepping out of the elevator and into the lounge, where each and every face turned to stare at her with different expressions. Steve looked like a kicked puppy sitting on the couch, Pepper was crying, Tony was trying to comfort her, but both he and Clint (who was standing behind the couch with his hands on Natasha's shoulders) looked furious. Bruce had his fists clenched on his lap as he sat next to Steve and Natasha looked… guilty?

The TV in front of all of them was showing a grainy video, probably taken with a cell phone. That was probably why it took her so long to realize that she had been the one being filmed. At the bottom were rolling captions in white against dark blue as the clip played. It was her against the robber. She stiffened. Despite winning the fight (technically), she didn't want her friends(?) seeing this – she didn't want anyone seeing this. But she couldn't do anything to stop it, it was the news, what was she going to do?

Slowly, hesitantly, she walked forward and came to stand beside Clint and behind Bruce to watch the video, ignoring six pairs of eyes boring into her. On the screen, the punch occurred and she immediately reached up to her face, as if to feel if it was still there. Ouch! Yup, still there. She watched her past self, fall to the ground and then get back and attack the man dressed in black, that was when the crowd had gotten too dense to see anything and the video stopped. She didn't want to see anymore, so she turned away. If only everything were that easy.  
She met Pepper's tearful gaze, and looked away from that too. Unable to stand the amount of emotion in the room, she made to leave when Clint grabbed her elbow. She didn't turn.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice utterly calm. Too calm. He must have been really pissed. She flinched.

"You saw it, I don't need to explain anything." She wrenched her arm back and crossed them both, ignoring the sting of her right forearm that she had covered in band aids and a jean jacket. She didn't see him scowl.

Tony spoke up next, not hiding the anger he so obviously felt. "Why didn't you tell us?"

She looked up at that, honestly surprised. She looked at Steve, who had his head bowed and looked like he was going to cry – he didn't – and then to Pepper, who simply buried her face in Tony's chest. They felt guilty enough as it was, she couldn't add to that. It wasn't physically possible.

"Because I'm fine and it was none of your business." She clipped.

"Damn it Tania!" Tony's explosion made her jump, turning to face him on instinct. She thought she saw a hint of regret in his eyes, but it was gone after a blink. It was never there. "It IS my freaking business because you live in MY Tower, you are part of MY staff, your best friend is MY girlfriend, you're MY…" he trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. Tania winced once, before locking down and full out glaring at him.

Not expecting it to be so threatening and… well… angry, Tony actually reeled back a little bit, his hold on Pepper tightening. He recovered quickly though, returning it equally.

Tania grit her teeth. "That may all be true, but I am not yours. If you want in on my business, you have to ask. Nicely. And I'm going to save you the trouble. No. It's bad enough that the entirety of New York, The States, and maybe even the World have seen that news broadcast, but I don't need you guys harping on me too."  
"Tania, believe it or not we do care." It was Bruce who spoke, barely moving a muscle. He was shaking ever so subtly. Tania gulped. The other Guy was close. She opened her mouth to retort but Natasha beat her to it, saying something that had all of them in shock.

"I'm sorry." It was so sudden, so out of the blue, so… out of character, that everyone momentarily forgot their anger and stared at her. Clint squeezed her shoulders and gave an imperceptible nod. Natasha inhaled and spoke again, this time looking into Tania's eyes without a trace of rage, like the others. "I'm sorry." She said again, "I was there, and I left, and I could have protected you. I'm sorry."

This only made things worse. "You think I'm some kind of porcelain doll that breaks when tapped too hard? You all think I can't take a punch?" she swore she saw Steve wince, but she ignored it, too angry to care. "I practically raised my brother on my own, I've been independent my entire life, and that entails being able to defend myself should the need arise! If you watched the video, you'd see that I managed to tackle him and get my purse back! I. Won. I am perfectly capable of protecting myself without a team of super heroes on my tail."

"We know that-"

"No you don't, Clint! No one does! Because not one of you know anything more about me than the way I act around you. That's not my entire life. I have a past, just like all of you. And that past has made me who I am today, and who I am is someone who doesn't need this crap!" she spun on her heel and stalked to elevator, fists clenched and jaw hardened. Once inside, she whipped around to face them. No one had moved, but Steve was looking at her now, face hopeless. She squared her shoulders. "I don't want or need any bothering or fussing, from ANY of you." She looked at him specifically, and he turned his head away, staring instead at the TV that had moved on to the next story.

Satisfied, Tania pressed the button of her floor and the doors closed, severing her ties with everyone in the room. For now, at least.


	17. Chapter 17

**A.N. Hey guys! So, last chapter was super angsty, hope you guys didn`t mind. This one also has a lot of angst, but also a lot of fluff, so I hope that makes up for it. Some of you were probably confused as to why Tania blew up in the Avengers' faces, so I'm going to explain it here. Don't worry, no spoilers... I don't think. Just so you guys know, I'm nowhere near the end of the story, this is literally the beginning of the plot I have in my head. Anyway, the explanation is the next paragraph, but after that, enjoy the story! :D**

**Okay, so first of all, Tania just got mugged and she was running on pure adrenaline during the fight. Afterwards, it sort of hit her that she had been targeted, whether it was on the fly or not, she doesn't know. Her past leads her to believe that everyone will leave her eventually and that's just how it goes. She doesn't want them to leave her, but at the same time, she isn't used to being cared for by so many people at once and doesn't know them well enough to see that their anger wasn't directed at her, but at the man that hurt her. Plus, having a black eye probably hurts like hell :P she also believes that she can defend herself fine (which is true) and doesn't like it when people try to restrict her actions to protect her when she's tough as can be. On top of all that, she's very confused about her feelings for Steve and doesn't know what to do about it, so she kind of pushed him away last chapter. Finally, she is not used to being taken care of and letting other people do things for her, she prefers to do them herself most of the time. Sorry, one last thing. Getting punched in the face on camera for the whole world to see? Not exactly something she wants. Hope that cleared things up :) I don't own the Avengers!**

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Wallowing. That was what she was doing. She was wallowing and sulking in the silence of her library, soaking in the darkness of the night. It was past midnight, and she had yet to move from her position. Her muscles ached and there were tears stains on her cheeks but she didn't dare move. She was wide awake, too troubled to sleep. She was curled in a ball in the far corner of the room, huddled as close to herself as she could get, head resting on her arms that crossed over her knees. She had long stopped sniffling and sobbing her eyes out, now resigned to her fate.

She would be forced to leave. She had blown up in front of everyone's faces and now they would realize that they couldn't tolerate her, couldn't possibly live with someone like her. It was just the way the world worked, because in the real world, no one cared. No one but family, and Graham was on the other side of town, probably snoring in his dorm room with his roommates after a late night study session.

She had long since calmed down and done nothing but think since that afternoon. She hadn't had anything to eat since lunch with Pepper and Natasha, and even that seemed so far away it was hard to believe that it was less than twenty four hours ago. Not even books could console her, could make her forget. They were her sanctuary, and now they just… stopped working. She couldn't sleep, didn't want to sleep, for fear she'd wake up without them.

Living with the Avengers has admittedly been the happiest time of her life, and now she had ruined it by yelling at them. And what for? Bruce had said that they cared, what did they mean by that? That they cared for her, or that they cared for the big deal she was spreading. The caption at the bottom of the TV screen had read that someone had spotted her entering Avengers Tower, and now rumours were flying about, unable to be taken back.

Steve had growled at her, and she had retaliated. But maybe… he wasn't growling _at_ her, but at her attacker, the one who had made her so angry and upset, and right before she was due for her period too. It was all his fault! If he had never laid his filthy hands on her purse in the first place, she wouldn't be in this mess! Why had this happened to her of all people? WHY WHY WHY?

The tears threatened to spill all over again, and she forced them back, squeezing her eyes shut. But that made her left eye throb and she quickly relaxed her facial features somewhat, grunting quietly in pain. She reached up to touch it, her arm stiff from lack of movement for so long. It had been hours since she'd moved, and she hadn't had any intention of doing so, but she was so tired she couldn't even control her motions anymore. With a yawn, she leaned to her right and fell onto the bean bag chair she had been sitting on before, her face buried in the fabric, before falling asleep.

A dream. This had to be a dream. There was no way this could be real. Loki was in Asgard, not Earth. There was no way he could be here, in her room, staring at her, still as a statue. Tania pulled the sheets up closer to her. Another reason to believe this was a dream. She had fallen asleep in the library, she remembered that much. To magically wake up in bed was impossible, she had made sure JARVIS (the only one she could talk to normally) had locked every door on her floor, even the elevator. Then again, Loki was magical.

The God of Mischief, trickery, lies, and deceit stared at her, hard eyes boring into her own and embedding an already growing a swath of guilt into her stomach, twisting it in ways she could never imagine that made her want to vomit. She leaned over the side of the bed and retched. She couldn't taste it. She knew what it tasted like, of course, but it wasn't there. Wasn't real. It was a dream, she knew. But she wouldn't wake up, and Loki wouldn't go away. He had yet to move, but his eyes followed her like those creepy paintings in the old Scooby-Doo cartoons. When she was done throwing up, she sat back on her bed and looked at him, leveling his stare. For several minutes, nothing happened.

Tania's guilt was swirling harder, faster inside of her, like a baby kicking its way out of her stomach from all sides – a two hundred pound baby. It hurt like hell and she clutched her belly, groaning and rolling over. Why was this part so real? Why did it hurt when she couldn't even feel the warmth of her own sheets around her, despite knowing they were there and what they felt like. She looked back at Loki. His eyes were glowing brightly as he gazed at her, dressed in full armour as she had last seen him. Then he was gone, and the pain overtook her with a dramatic, blood-curdling scream.

Tania's eyes shot open and she gasped, chest heaving. Her heart was pounding and she immediately clutched her stomach. The pain was still there, but nowhere near as bad as in her dream. That's all it had been, a stupid dream her subconscious had created in the form of Loki to convey her guilt, to reprimand her for her explosion and anger at the people who cared about her for no reason. They were her friends and she had hated them for it. It was in incredibly stupid move and she regretted it instantly. The pain subsided some, but not all, and she knew it wouldn't until she apologized. And then she would beg to stay, because if she left now, she would be sadder than she had been before; because happiness had been within reach… and she'd shattered it. Well, hopefully not.

She groped for her phone and then checked the time, squinting at the brightness of the screen. It was two thirty seven. She had several hours to sleep and think of a plan of action, one that would ultimately have the desired effect (she prayed) and have the others forgive her. She couldn't live with herself if Steve hated her, she might just die of guilt and self-loathing.

She decided to move to her bed, her muscles protesting as she tried to stand. Both her legs had gone numb and she had kink in her neck from the odd position at which she had slept. Her arms felt all tingly and her stomach was still riddled with guilt, as well as the rest of her. In short, she wasn't ready to stand and quickly fell to the floor in a heap. No one was there to catch her fall, "Because I pushed them all away." She whispered to herself, and even though she knew that that wasn't true and that no one was there because it was past midnight in a library, she could feel even more tears formulate behind her eyes. When would they stop? Would they ever? She needed to fix this, but not now. Everyone would just be cranky and less likely to accept her apology.

After waiting a few minutes for her limbs to regain blood circulation, Tania pushed herself steadily to her feet and told JARVIS to unlock the door. He complied wordlessly and she made her way to her room, barely keeping her eyes open long enough to fall into bed, get under the covers, and get comfortable before being knocked out cold completely.

Bright sunlight streamed through her window and Tania tried to ignore it, she really did. But it was futile, the yellow had invaded her lids and were piercing her eyes even from the outside. She groaned, knowing full well what she had to do that day. Today was the day to apologize, to make up for her mistake and pay the consequences she deserved. She threw a pillow over her face and tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. She was awake now, and she wasn't falling back asleep. She looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand: six thirty. Good enough.

She threw the covers back and stretched, frowning at how stiff she was. On the bright side, her kink appeared to have loosened enough to let her turn her head both ways to a certain extent without hurting. She sighed. It would have to do. She didn't bother getting dressed and went downstairs for some coffee, walking out the already opening door before tripping on something. She looked back curiously, only to see a bouquet of flowers lying in her doorway.

She crawled over to it and picked it up, examining it. There were about a dozen flowers inside, each one a different colour and type as the last. The stems had been de-thorned and the mixture of petals created an intoxicating aroma. There was no note, but she knew immediately who it was from and she frowned. If he thought he could fix this with a flimsy bunch of flowers, he had another thing coming. She tossed it aside and then went back in her room.

Not two minutes later she ran back out and snatched them into her hands, taking them back to put in a vase. He had probably paid good money for them, why waste it on the floor? She found a glass container of some sort and filled it with tap water from the bathroom. She unwrapped the bouquet and placed it inside, rearranging it however she liked by delicately pushing aside petals and moving stems to different places. Finally happy with the way it looked, she turned away from it and sighed.

She was delusional. That's what it was. Steve had been trying to be nice to her, to apologize even (maybe), and she had carelessly tossed aside his peace offering like trash. What kind of person was she to do that kind of thing? What did that say about her? She was a horrible person, one who didn't deserve such an amazing person like Steve.

Don't say that! A part of her screamed, louder than she thought a thought could be. You are NOT a horrible person! You're angry! People get angry all the time! You had no outlet for your anger so you took it out on the first thing you could: the Avengers. The voice tried to reason. Tania shook her head violently, covering her ears like a child who didn't want to hear that something sad. Steve would never want you to think this way. The voice was right, and that voice sounded suspiciously like Graham. Steve wouldn't want her to hate herself, no matter what. She didn't hate herself, not by a long shot, but… sometimes she did the dumbest things, some more drastic than others. This was one of those more drastic times.

Tania took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her mind and think rationally. Her brain was kind of all over the place right now and she wanted it in order, organized. She liked it that way, but that just wasn't the way her mind worked unfortunately. Still, calmness would be good right about now. A couple minutes later, she headed for her closet to pick out something to wear, just in case they kicked her out on the spot. Now that she was fully awake, she was thinking more clearly, and knew that the likelihood of that happening was very slim – but there would always be a part of her that wondered what if… And that part was big enough to cause concern, so she dressed in business casual, with jeans and a red blouse with a black blazer, but it was too hot, so she forgo-ed it and just left jeans and the blouse. She tied her hair into a ponytail and made her way to the elevator with bags under both eyes, her left one still black as night.

When she finally made it the kitchen, she was glad no one was there yet. There would be no pleasantries until she got some coffee. When she had successfully made herself a batch, she sat down at the dining room table and waited. After half an hour, she found herself to impatient to continue and went searching for something to do. As if noticing this, JARVIS spoke up.

"Miss Banks, it might interest you to know that Mr. Rogers is currently in the gym." He informed her. Tania stopped.

"You couldn't have told me that half an hour ago?" she asked through gritted teeth. She imagined the AI shrug.

"Apparently not."

She snorted and continued her path for the elevator. "Which floor is it Jarvis?"

"Number twenty."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"You can't feel pleasure."

"And how would you know that, Ms. Banks?" Tania opened and closed her mouth, unable to answer concretely. She swore she heard him smirk.

"Remember what I said before, never try to outsmart an artificial intelligence."

"Keyword being artificial."

"Keyword being intelligence."

She snorted. "Ass." Before he could retort, she quickly ordered "Mute!" and he obeyed. Tania felt smug, but that dissolved easily when the doors opened, replaced by guilt, nerves, tensions, fear, worry, sadness, a hint of anger, embarrassment, and maybe even more emotions all bundled into one painful twist of her stomach as she caught sight of him, visibly upset.

Sweat trickled down his back as he beat the crap out of a worn out punching bag, muscles clenched and back to her. His hair was matted down with sweat and his shirt clung to his fully sculpted form as his fists crashed against the bag. He gave hard grunts with each punch and Tania felt her mouth go dry on top of all the feelings she was currently… well, feeling. He was sexy. She had to admit it. Friends could admit that kind of thing, right?

Shaking her head clear, Tania made to speak when Steve hit the punching bag so hard that it flew across the room and slammed into the wall with a loud THUD and then fell to the floor. The sound had echoed throughout the room startling Tania enough to jump a foot in the air. Then there was silence. The only sound in the room was Steve's ragged breathing, his chest heaving up and down in the process. There was an entire pile of detached and thoroughly beat up bags by the wall, and a line of them behind the super soldier, just waiting to be destroyed by him.

Steve turned to fetch another one when he spotted her in the doorway. He paused, eyes wide and hand halfway to his hair as he was about to run his fingers through it. A couple seconds passed before he resumed the action and narrowed his eyes. Tania felt her guilt grow ever bigger than before, and she cleared her throat.

"Um, hi."

He didn't reply right away, instead taking the time to look her up and down as if scrutinizing her for the truth. "Hi." He finally said, not moving. He was waiting, she realized, waiting for an apology. Well, he would get one.

"Steve, I am so sorry, you have no idea how sorry I am. I don't know how many times I have to say it or what I have to do to make you forgive me, but I'll do it! I shouldn't have blown up in your face, or anyone's faces, and the entire ordeal was my fault, and I just…" she paused, unsure of where she was really going. She took a deep breath and started again. "I'm sorry. I hope you know that."

Nothing changed or moved for the longest time, both staring at each other. Tania was staring at his eyes, wishing he would meet her gaze, while he was staring at her feet. When it was clear that he wasn't going to speak any time soon, she continued.

"I got your flowers. They were beautiful. They're sitting on my windowsill right now. And I can honestly say I don't deserve them. If anything, you do. I have half a mind to give them back to you, but that would be extremely rude. I'd buy you my own, but I haven't left the Tower since yesterday so…" she trailed off, hoping against all odds that he would save her and say something – anything. He didn't. He did look at her though, in the eyes. In his, she saw sadness clouding the blue. She swore that her guilt would swallow her whole in the next few minutes if he didn't say something. "Steve, I… I… I was out of sorts. I had just been mugged, I was PMS-ing, I was pushing you away, I implied that I didn't trust you, and I…" at that moment, something clicked. She knew what she had to do. "I trust you, Steve. I trust you with my life and I want you to know that, I want everyone to know that. I'm sorry I walked out on you when you were just trying to take care of me, and I'm sorry I got angry at you guys for no legitimate reason, and I'm sorry… gosh, I'm sorry for everything basically. But anyway, to prove that I trust you… I'm going to tell you something. Something I've never told anyone before, not Pepper, not Drew, not even Graham, though he knows most of it anyway."

Steve's sadness seemed to make room for curiousity as he tilted his head. A few seconds passed before he sighed and gestured for her to join him on the bench a few feet from where he stood. Tania scurried over to him and sat down, nervous as hell. What she was about to do took guts, and she was about to do it because she needed to prove that she trusted him. No, you have to do it because you trust him, she thought to herself. She inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm herself before starting.

"I was born in a taxi in the state of Louisiana in 1989. My parents were very…" she bit her lip in thought, "eccentric people, to put it nicely. They were argumentative, stubborn, rash, irresponsible, and all together awful parents. Every few years, we had to move cities because my parents would be banned from something or other and always took it to the next level by full out leaving the state. They had very little income, being minimum wage workers that never stayed for more than three years tops. Things were always tight, always moving, always exchangeable. Everything, no matter how important to you, could be used for cash. They sold my prized teddy bear when I was four, two years after Graham was born.

"Graham was my sanctuary, he was my escape, my heaven amongst my hell. I took him under my wing, vowed to protect him with all my heart. Mom and Dad would always be at work, so I brought him with me to school because we couldn't afford daycare. The teachers were sympathetic to our situation and allowed it. I taught him almost everything those two years because I was the only one he could understand and I was the only one who could understand him. When he was old enough to go to his own class, he already knew everything and got cocky, arrogant. Of course, he was only four or five, but that's when the personality starts to develop.

"As we got older, both parents turned to alcohol to wallow in their sorrows at what failures we'd turned out to have been. Neither were very violent, but both were sharp with their words. Luckily, they slurred most of the time and we didn't understand over half of the things they said to us. About a week before my thirteenth birthday, they divorced. Neither wanted to keep us, so they just left in the middle of the night. I did some research and found out that dad went backpacking in Europe in search for the best alcoholic drink ever, and mom went to find spiritual enlightenment by going on hikes in the Andes Mountains. Don't ask me how they could afford it, I honestly don't know, but something tells me they conned their way there.

"Anyway, I didn't want my brother and I to go to a foster home, so I us to school to talk to the teachers. They helped us with a lot of things that I don't remember, but I know that after about a month, our estranged Aunt came to visit and took us into her custody. She was deaf and we didn't understand sign language, so we never spoke, but she did everything with a small smile. Once I graduated high school, I was confident enough that Graham could survive without me and moved out. I came to New York to do University and Graham eventually followed me despite going to a different school. He's in his second year of University now and he'll graduate in a couple of years. I've tried contacting my parents, God knows why, but I can never get a hold of them. My Aunt passed while both Graham and I were away for University, but we both came back for her funeral. At that age, I'd had a job since I was fifteen so I'd made enough money to get by, I'm still paying off my loans for school and the apartment. So you can sort of see why I have trust issues.

"Then there's the whole 'ex-boyfriend' thing. I've only ever had two, and they were both awful. Sure, at first glance they were all nice and perfect and romantic and stuff, but the first one I caught in bed with best friend and the other one dumped me because and I quote, 'I didn't get his engine running'. I gave up on men after that, claiming that they were heartless pigs who would do anything to get laid with a pretty girl.

"So… yeah. Now you know everything. I really hope this conveys to you how much I trust you. I've never told this to anyone else before, and I don't regret saying it now. Steve, I'm so sorry." She placed her hand on top of his and looked straight into his eyes, praying he'd see the complete honesty in her eyes. Several seconds ticked by, with the two of them lost in their own little world.

Finally, Steve moved to pull Tania into a hug, but stopped and looked down at himself, noticing the sweat that still clung to him. She shook her head. "I don't care." She whispered and wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in his shoulder. Steve wove one hand around her back and the other caressed her head. She felt tears prickle the back of her eyes and tried to hold them in, but then she remembered that she trusted him and let them fall. "Thank you." She told him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't deserve you."

They stayed like that for an indeterminable amount of time, just holding each other. Eventually, they broke apart but kept their hands linked. Tania glanced down at them but didn't ask, grateful he was touching her at all. He reached towards her face and wiped her tears away with his thumb. She placed her other hand on top of his and held it there, then let it drop.

"It's okay." He said; it was the first thing he had spoken since his greeting. "You were traumatized, that's understandable. And what you just did… you were very brave to confess something like that. It proves just how much you trust me and I want you to know that I trust you too."

"Thank you." She said again, smiling slightly. "But you know, I can take care of myself." His eyes flicked toward her large bruise upon her face. "Just 'cause I got clocked, doesn't mean I lost. I tackled him to the ground and managed to get my purse back. I call that a success."

There was a brief moment where he didn't reply, but then he leaned forward and kissed her left eye gently. Heat rose to her cheeks like a dam having broken to let the water flow. He laughed and then hugged her again. "I know you can take care of yourself Tania, I just worry. I already lost so much, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too."

She was honestly touched by his words, her hear felt warm and like it had doubled in size. She sniffled and hugged him tighter, wondering what she did to deserve him. "That just shows how much you care. I shouldn't have shunned you for that, and I'm sorry." An idea suddenly occurred to her and she pulled back. "I think I know a way I can make it up to you." She stood up and pulled him to his feet. "Do you remember when we first met, and I told you that I had ten years of dance lessons and then offered to teach you how to dance?"

Steve's face lit up in recognition. "Yes. It feels like so long ago."

"I know what you mean." She led him to the middle of the room and then wrapped her arms around his shoulder while his instinctively went to her waist. She smiled up at him. "So far so good, you haven't stepped on my toes yet."

He laughed. "No, not yet. But don't you think I should… I don't know, shower first?" he rubbed the back of his neck timidly and she shook her head.

"Nah. I honestly don't care. I'll just breathe through my nose."

He chuckled. "You sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay then."

"Okay, so your feet are going to go…" she showed him the steps and guided him slowly through the counts, going slowly and watching his face closely. He was looking down at his feet and seemed to be concentrating rather hard. Once she was sure that he had the steps down pat, she told him to look into her eyes but keep his feet moving in the same pattern. They danced like that for a while, staring into each other's eyes as time flew by. Then she taught him how to dip.

When he almost dropped her the first time, he refused to do it again and she had slapped his arm. "I'm not made of glass, if you drop me I'm not going to shatter. Do it again." So he did, and it was getting better. They did it a few more times before he finally got the hang of it. He dipped her again, but this time he didn't bring her back up. She looked up at him, confused.

"Steve-?" she was interrupted by a _phweep!_ The automatic door had opened. Tania and Steve jumped apart, faces red, just as Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton strode in, both dressed in workout casual. Tania's guilt came back full force as the two assassins stared at her and the captain with blank looks. After what seemed like forever, she decided to speak.

"Agent Romanoff, Agent Barton, I am so sorry. I know that what I said and did was horrible and I was very confused and sour and I'm sorry. I was rude and awful and I can't say it enough times how sorry I am. I'd be happy if you just accepted my apology and told me to move out."

Steve's head whipped towards her so fast she though he would get whiplash. Surprisingly enough, neither agent looked mad. They shared a secret glance and then Natasha spoke first. "You're forgiven."

Tania blinked. "What? Just like that?"

The red head nodded, moving over to the training dummies and putting her water bottle on the ground. She turned back around to face her, hands on her hips. "That doesn't mean what you did was acceptable and that I'm not mad, but it definitely doesn't warrant getting kicked out of your own home."

Tania hadn't thought of it like that. It was her home now. She lived there because Tony had offered, and he wouldn't have offered if he didn't think there would be risks and/or consequences. She nodded. "So… we're okay?"

Pause. "Define okay."

"Um, you're not going to kill me in my sleep and we can speak civilly without hating each other?"

Natasha gave the briefest of laughs, so short she almost missed it. "Then yeah, we're okay." Tania's smile lit up the room and she turned to Clint.

"I-"

"Yeah, you're sorry. I know."

"Clint-"

"Save it. We all have those days." He shrugged.

"This is a miracle." She stated. "I expected all of you guys to be so mad at me. I can't believe how understanding you all are."

"You're our friend, and you getting mad at something we don't entirely understand isn't going to change that."

Friend. She was their friend. They actually cared about her. It was a surprising revelation, and one she was glad she had. She beamed as her guilt slowly ebbed away. Of course, there were still Tony, Pepper, and Bruce to apologize to, but so far so good. There was one last thing here she had to take care of. "Hey Natasha?"

The female S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turned to her. "Yeah?"

"Do you think you could give me some lessons? On, you know, self defense and stuff? I mean, I've had them before, but that was a while ago and if this ever happens again then I'd rather not end up with another black eye."

"I doubt it would happen again."

"You never know."

Natasha seemed to be contemplating it, then she sighed. "Alright. First lesson is tomorrow at six a.m. If you're not there, there is no class."

"Got it. I'll leave you guys to your workout then." She waved and quickly left the room in search of the others. "Jarvis?" she called once she was out of earshot of the others. "Is anyone else awake yet?"

"Mr. Stark has been in his lab since last night and Dr. Banner is currently on his way to the kitchen. Ms. Potts is still asleep."

"Thank you Jarvis."

"You're welcome Ms. Banks."

Tania decided to go to Bruce first, seeing as she didn't know where the lab was and which lab Tony was in. She quickly got in the elevator (after it arrived, seeing as it had to drop off Bruce first) and made her way to the kitchen. When she got there, the doctor was boiling a kettle to make tea. The last thing she wanted to do was startle him, but when the elevator dinged, he jumped and turned around. Luckily, his eyes were one hundred percent brown. She approached him shyly.

"Hey Bruce."

He appeared shocked to see her, but nodded and mumbled a low "hello" before going back to his tea. Tania bit her lip.

"Look, I'm really sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was totally out of line and I realized that you were right. You guys do care about me, and I care about all of you just as much. I can't put into words how much guilt has engulfed me since this whole mess started, and I…" she sucked in a breath. "I'm sorry."

Bruce still had his back to her, but she could tell that he was listening from the way his head was tilted towards her. She waited with bated breath for his reaction. He rotated his body towards her.

"It's okay. You got mad, and you couldn't control it very well. I know what that feels like." He gave a wry smile and returned it, happy beyond belief.

"But try not to do it again, and if you do, then I would prefer you give us a concrete reason."

Tania walked up to him but he held up his hand, telling her to keep her distance. She frowned but complied. It appeared that he didn't totally trust her quite yet. That was fine with her. It had taken her several weeks to trust them this much, so she could wait for the other way around. She looked at the giant digital clock over the stove. Seven forty. "Hey Bruce, do you know where Tony is?"

"Probably in the lab working on his suit."

"What floor is that?"

He looked up at her curiously. "It's restricted. The only ones allowed in there are Pepper, me, someone named Rhodey, and Tony himself. You'll never get him out of there. If you want to speak to him, then your best bet would be to get Pepper to herd him out."

"Oh." Tania deflated.

Seeing this, Bruce attempted to cheer her up, but he wasn't an exactly an expert on things like that. "He wouldn't miss breakfast. Pepper's due her in about twenty minutes and when she's here, Tony's here."

"If you say so." Tania then poured herself another cup of coffee from the pot she had brewed earlier and reheated it. Still just as good (thank God). She then sat down at the table and took her phone out of her pocket to pass the time. She was playing angry birds in the hopes of beating Steve's high score. Bruce joined her not long after with his tea and newspaper. They sat together in companionable silence. At eight o'clock on the dot, the elevator dinged and Tony and Pepper waltzed through the doors.

When Tony saw her, he stopped and glared but Tania refused to let him see her shrink beneath it. However, she decided to apologize to Pepper first. It would probably be easier. She pushed her chair back with her calves as she stood up and approached them with caution.

"Morning Pepper, Tony. I'm really sorry I made you cry and that I was so rude to you yesterday. I'm also sorry that I blew up in your faces when you were just trying to help. I'm probably the worst friend ever and I will so anything to make it up to you. I'd also appreciate it if you didn't fire me, but I'd totally understand if you docked my pay or took away my Christmas bonus (if I was even getting one) and made me work extra hours for a month, maybe even a year. All in all, I'm just really sorry and I totally deserve everything you may or may not throw at me."

Surprisingly, there was no silence this time. No pause to let the apology sink in, no shocked break between dialogues. Tony just replied right away, like usual. "You think you can just come up here, say you're sorry and then be forgiven?"

"Of course not-"

"Well good, because you're not."

_Ouch_. "What will it take for you to forgive me?"

"I want you to take each and every one of my cars to get a new paint job at the auto shop on eleventh avenue."

"Tony-" Bruce started in a chastising tone, but he didn't get to finish before being interrupted by none other than Tania.

"Bruce, don't. I said it myself, I deserve this." She turned back to Tony. "Will I be forgiven after this?"

"… maybe."

"Tony." Pepper whispered harshly, slapped his shoulder in a less than playful manner. He huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Yes."

"Thank-"

"But you have to do it tomorrow."

Okay, that was unexpected. "But I have work tomorrow."

"Ah, ah, ah. No excuses. You will do it tomorrow and you will have them all delivered by midnight, got it?"

"… alright, fine. You got me."

"Good. You are forgiven." He walked past her and sat down at the head of the table. Tania followed him with her gaze.

"But I haven't even done it yet."

"I know. I also know that you'll do it, so no worries. You exploded, we got hurt, we're over it. No big deal."

Pepper nodded along with him and sat down on his left so that she could face Tania while she spoke. "It's perfectly fine Tania. We did seem a little confrontational yesterday."

"It's not that-"

"It was a factor, though. You can't argue with that."

"I… guess not."

"Come sit with us. We can get our minds off the whole ordeal by planning that spa day."

Tania smiled and the last of her overwhelming guilt melted away as she sat across from Pepper. The two girls started picking out spas by googling the ones on Pepper's phone and then made a reservation for Tuesday evening while the boys talked science and complicated things that neither female understood.

Less than a half hour later, the last of the Avengers had trickled in and sat down with the others, Steve next to Tania, with Clint on his right and Natasha across from him, to Bruce's left. Tania helped Pepper set the table and did menial tasks that didn't involve any actual cooking as they chatted away, impatient for their spa night.

It was when they were all seated, all talking to each other and not leaving a single person out of the conversation, that Tania felt it. It was subtle, but it was there. A bond. She had bonded with each and every Avenger plus Pepper in a special way. She trusted them, she cared about them, she liked them. Her eyes fell on Steve, who was smiling as he told the story of how he and Bucky met. She grinned at him, and he returned it before continuing the tale.

Later that day, Tania went searching for him, and found him in his art gallery. She invited him to another round of angry birds and he accepted almost right away. She let him go first and then turn for another look at his paintings. That was when her eyes fell on the sketch of Peggy Carter. It was finished.

**End Note: Hope this makes up for last chapter! :D Feel free to review (but no flames please. i can handle them, but I'd rather not)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N Hiya! You guys probably weren't expecting an update so soon, huh? Well, here it is. I thought about continuing this chapter, but I decided it was a good enough length and split it. Also, there actually is an auto shop on eleventh street (i googled it) and the one mentioned here is in no way associated with that AT ALL. It's just something I made up in my head since I have never actually been there. I don't own it, nor do I own the Avengers. Enjoy :D**

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Ms. Banks, it is five thirty a.m. Here is your alarm as requested." JARVIS' voice penetrated Tania's dream state as she stirred, readjusting her position and rolling over onto her other side just as country music started blaring from an indiscernible source and she bolted upright. Her head spun from having been lying down for so many hours (seven). She quickly pressed her right hand to her temple in an attempt to quell the head rush she had gotten.

Groaning, Tania looked straight ahead at the wall and focused on it, waiting for her world to set itself right. When it did, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and stretched her neck and arms. Her first self-defense lesson was in half an hour, therefore she had thirty minutes to get ready and not be late, or risk angering the assassin. Something about that sentence was unsettling.

Deciding to leave the music on, knowing that no one else could hear it as they were all on whole other floors, Tania pulled on some shorts and camisole and quickly tied her hair in a ponytail. She grabbed a pair of running shoes and made her way down the hall. With each step she took, her entire body followed the beat of the song and she felt… happy. It was a fairly large contrast with what she had been feeling less than twenty four hours before, but she certainly wasn't complaining.

She was still getting over the shock at how quickly the Avengers had forgiven her. But then she thought, what if our positions were reversed? And she knew she would have done the same as any of them. She would have forgiven them. With that in mind, she told JARVIS to transfer the music to the elevator as she stepped in. The A.I. complied and she tapped her foot to the rhythm as the tiny room lifted higher and higher to the gym where she and Steve had almost had their first kiss.

Now, you'd think the most important word in that sentence would be "almost", but it wasn't. It was "first". Because a "first", implied that there would be a second and a third. She wanted it, she knew she did. It was just a matter of if Steve wanted it too. There were several things to take into account, several clues as to his opinion on the matter.

First, there was Graham saying that he looked at her as if he couldn't lose her, but that could be blamed on the fact that he had already lost so much, that couldn't lose anything else. Like a good friend.

Second, there was the teasing Tony was constantly aiming their way. He would always remind them about how they were like unicorns puking rainbows or whatever crap he happened to think of that day. In order to tease them about it, he must have seen something that made him think that.

Third, there was Pepper implying it the first time they went shopping but other than that, dropping the subject.

Fourth, there was Clint mistaking her for his girlfriend. Granted, Tony had misinformed him, but still.

And then there was the kiss the day before – well, the almost kiss. It could have been a fluke, a mistake, or it could have been more, a bold move to convey his feelings to her. It could have been instinct, it could have been anything really. But what it really was, she might never know. The only to know was to ask. She was usually so bold about this kind of thing. Normally she would have no qualms about walking up to him and asking him what he thought of her. But he wasn't just any guy, he was freaking Captain America. More than that, he was Steve Rogers: the man she thought she had fallen in love with.

Could she have fallen in love with him? It was possible. She wasn't a hundred percent sure what her feelings toward him entailed, she just knew that she wanted more. She and Steve were best friends, that much was clear, but she wanted so much more. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, she wanted to be able to stare at him dreamily without having to worry about getting caught, she needed to feel that connection, that spark that she had when they touched. She wanted that all the time. It was like a drug, addicting, that once you try it, you can't stop. She found that she didn't want to stop. She wanted to hold him and never let go.

But that couldn't happen, at least, not right now. Right now, she was exiting the elevator to see Natasha stretching in a similar outfit to the day before. Tania needed to focus if she was going to focus and learn properly. Momentarily forgetting her "love" for Steve, she walked towards the agent and smiled.

"Good morning Natasha."

"Hello. You're early."

Tania shrugged. "Yeah, didn't want to take the chance of being late."

"Smart."

"I thought so."

"Alright. So, stretch for a few minutes and then we'll get started." Natasha ordered and then started setting up the punching bags and training robots that would and wouldn't fight back depending on the setting. Tania nodded and set to work, starting with her wrists and ankles and working her way inward.

It was a comfortable silence as the two girls worked separately, and neither minded. A few minutes later, Tania announced that she was done. Natasha nodded and beckoned her over to the punching bags.

"Alright, I wanna see how hard you can hit. I want you to put everything you have into the force of your blows." She grabbed a hold of the bag and Tania looked at it. It was one of the few that Steve hadn't torn to shreds the day before. With a deep breath, Tania got into the fighting stance she remembered from that class she had taken a few years prior and threw her first punch. And then she kept going. She imagined she was punching the man that had tried and failed to steal her purse and her hits starting getting harder, faster, sloppier. It was his fault. He had made the mistake of grabbing her purse and brought on all this emotional turmoil on her and her friends.

With little grunts escaping her mouth with each impact, she gave one powerful punch to deliver her frustration with the attacker and herself, about how she had reacted, how she had let herself hurt Steve and the others. She imagined the punching bag flying off the chain and crashing against the wall behind it, but that didn't happen. She was no super soldier. Panting from exertion, she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand as she unclenched her fists (which took more effort than she had anticipated).

Natasha let go of the training tool and nodded appreciatively. "Not bad, but it could definitely be better. You have little to no technique and we have to refine that. But before we begin that, I want to test your reflexes. I want you to block the attacks of the dummy over there." She pointed to the robot in the bottom right corner of the room. "I have it on its lowest setting and if you can beat that easily, I'll raise it."

Tania followed her to the robot and got in her stance, determined not to be beat by a slow "dummy". Natasha activated it and the robot made to hit her head from her right side and she raised her right forearm to block it, the one that had been scraped significantly from her fall the other day. She grimaced, but otherwise didn't react to the stinging. The robot itself was wrapped in what appeared to be a thin cushion to soften the blows instead of having to hit the metal directly. Not all the robots were like that, but a significant percent of them were.

The robot used its other hand to give an uppercut to her stomach, but she caught it with her left, underestimating its strength. Its fist continued its path and slammed into her abs, causing her to double over. It shoved her other hand back and then brought its knee up toward her face. Tania dove to the side to avoid it and rolled to stand up faster. When she was on her feet, the robot had turned to face her. It had legs, but it was rooted to the spot. She was forced to move closer to it. She hesitantly did so, cautious and wary.

"Remember, this is only to block and dodge. Do not go on the offense." Natasha reminded her from the sidelines. Tania gave a slight nod and got within hitting range of the dummy. The machine went to grab her neck in a chokehold but she ducked just in time and then bounced back up like a spring. It spun its leg around at relatively low height and she jumped over it. They worked like that for a few more minutes before Natasha decided to raise the difficulty level.

The robot became faster, not waiting as long between moves but definitely not as quick as someone like Natasha would be when fighting. Tania dodged the attacks with more difficulty, but she did get hit a couple times. Luckily, the robot didn't hit much harder than before and she recovered quickly enough to dodge the next attack.

When the dummy managed to shove her to the ground by her shoulders, Natasha turned it off. "Stay off the ground if you can, getting up is always the hard part, especially if your opponent is strong enough to pin you."

Tania stood and panted, chest heaving. The Avenger tossed her a water bottle and she caught it, taking a long swig before speaking. "How did I do?"

"Not bad. Better than most people with no martial arts experience. You have flow, which comes in handy when delivering several hits at once and performing unpredictable patterns that your opponent can't decipher."

"That probably comes from the dance lessons."

"Probably. Last but not least, I need to you to tell me everything you remember about self-defense, or rather, I need you to show me." She walked into the ring in the center of the room and stepped over the cord that wrapped around the square like a wrestling ring. Tania gulped and copied her, swinging one leg over the high ropes, and then the other, just barely managing to get over without jumping.

They spent the rest of the morning going over what Tania had learned, such as how to escape choke-holds, when someone is holding your hair, when someone has their arms wrapped around you from behind in what's called a "bear hug", and how to break someone's nose. At the end of the session, Natasha told her to remember all those things, because she was going to build off of those as well as give her whole new things to learn. At five past seven, the two girls decided they had had enough and called it a day, despite the fact that the day had only just started. The elevator dropped the two off at their separate floors (still playing country music, whoops) and probably to take showers. That was certainly what Tania did. She took her time, and by the time she got out, it was seven thirty. She still had a couple hours before she had to go to work, she could probably get started on delivering Tony's cars to that auto shop a few streets down. It was close enough to walk, so she would drive the car to the place, walk back, and repeat.

With a sigh, she started for the garage. Tania had thought about asking for help; honestly she did. Tony had over a dozen cars, each one vastly different than the last. Each one was in the parking garage behind the lobby on the first floor with large bay windows that let in the sunlight for anyone brave enough to get close enough to the Tower to marvel at his vehicles. Of course, the glass was bullet-proof, and basically everything-proof. It was also about six inches thick virtually indestructible.

When Tania had wandered inside and was in awe at all of the cars from different eras, with different colours, companies, shapes, sizes, speeds, etc. It wasn't until she spotted Steve's motorcycle that she realized that not all the vehicles might be Tony's.

"Hey Jarvis?" she called, fingering Steve's bike while reminiscing.

"Yes, Ms. Banks?"

"Would it be possible to tell me which of these cars belongs to Tony?"

"The green one is Dr. Banner's, the black convertible is Agent Barton's, and the motorcycle is Captain Rogers'."

"I didn't know Bruce had a car."

"It was a gift from Mr. Stark. Dr. Banner has yet to use it."

"Thanks Jarvis."

"Any time Ms. Banks."

Tania had received a large silver ring full of car keys yesterday from Tony, so she picked one at random and pressed the "unlock" button. The red sports car to the far left of the room that was otherwise bare (besides the other cars) flashed and beeped once. Tania made her way over to it and got inside, slamming the door behind her. She inserted the key and started the ignition, grasping the steering wheel nervously.

She had her license of course, but this was New York City. Hardly anyone had their own cars anymore. She took a taxi everywhere and hadn't driven in years. This was Tony Stark's car, she could not afford to crash it or even scratch it – literally.

She grabbed the small remote on the dash and opened the garage door. It rose slowly, as if revealing something epic with the sunlight blinding the viewer's eyes behind said "epic thing". But there was nothing there but a road and some buildings. She pressed on the gas pedal and steered the wheel to the right, slowly navigating through the maze of cars to get to the outside and start on her way to the road of forgiveness, despite having been forgiven already.

As she drove, she couldn't help but roll down the windows and fell like she was a teenager again, embracing the freedom of being able to drive on her own without anyone hovering over her or keeping an eye on her. She suddenly felt like she needed sunglasses not to protect her eyes from the glare of the bright star of the solar system, but because it was what she would have done when she was sixteen. She fumbled with the radio and started blaring music as she drove down the streets of her city, the only one she had ever considered home.

The shop was barely a few minutes' drive away, so her "freedom" was short lived. Still, it was nice while it lasted. She found a suitable parking space and made sure to lock the door behind her as she walked up the steps to the front door with the air of a confidant business woman you couldn't refuse.

She walked inside, almost forgetting to actually push open the door because she had been so used to automatic doors. She remembered just in time and managed to narrowly avoid bonking her nose against the glass as her hands flew to the handle to push on it. She walked in with a blush as her confidant demeanor deflated just a little bit.

The lobby was full of life and colour with rich green foliage lining the walls and plush carpets that matched the furniture of the room. There was a dark skinned man behind the desk working efficiently at a computer who noticed her, and looked up with a smile.

"Hi. Welcome to our auto shop. How may I help you today?"

"Hi, I'm here on an errand for Tony Stark. He wants fifteen cars repainted ASAP."

He looked mildly surprised at that statement but didn't comment on it. "And do you have all fifteen cars here?"

"I'll be in and out all day delivering them. The first one is parked out front and I'll back soon with the next one." She handed him the keys to the car and prayed she could trust him. Tony had specifically told her to come here, so that meant that he had been here before and he trusted them right? That was what she told herself as she bid him goodbye and left to fetch the next car. There was a cool summer breeze that morning as she walked down the sidewalk in her heals and business suit. Hey, she had work that day and had already changed clothes twice, she didn't want to do it again. On the way back, she passed by the coffee shop that she and Steve hardly ever frequented anymore and she found herself missing it. She stopped in front of the window and looked in, the smell of coffee wafting towards her despite the closed door. She peeked in and spotted their table that was currently occupied by a man who looked to be in his early forties working on his laptop, alone. She hadn't had her coffee that morning, so she decided she'd stop and get some despite the heat.

Ten minutes later, she walked out with her drink and sipped it carefully as she walked, cradling it with her hands. It felt nice just to be able to walk, to think. She had done nothing but think of Steve since she saw the coffee shop, and by the time she reached Avengers Tower, she had come to one conclusion.

She loved him. She really, really did. It was undeniable, the strength she felt simply by thinking about him, the connection she felt just by touching him, the want she felt whenever she looked at him; it was obvious. Tania Banks was in love with Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. A super hero. She was in love with a super hero. Oh how her opinion had changed since that first day, since before she met him. And she was glad, else she might have gone on thinking he was some careless jerk like almost every other guy on the planet.

If he was, she wouldn't have fallen in love with him. It was like a huge weight off her chest, being able to say it, but she didn't dare say it out loud. Not right now, at least. She knew that she would, though. As soon as she was alone, and she was sure that no one could hear her, she would shout it to the heavens and smile and laugh. In fact, she did so as soon as she reached the garage.

She contemplated it on the drive back, and then – despite wearing heels – she felt the overwhelming need to run. Not because she was scared or wanted exercise or anything, just because she could. On the way to the Tower, she picked up the pace and she began to run, tripping every so often but never falling, for which she was grateful. She started to laugh; she felt free. She felt happy and energetic, and relieved, and in love… Passersby stared strangely at her, but she didn't care. They might have recognized her from the news story the other day, but no matter how she felt about that (supremely embarrassed) she couldn't bring herself to care at that very second. She ran all the way back home, not sprinting necessarily, but running.

It wasn't until she had delivered the third car and was almost back to the Tower, that she was ambushed by the paparazzi. It was unexpected and the flashing cameras were unnerving. It was a mob of photographers and reporters that had swarmed her so suddenly just fifty meters away from sanctuary. Spots of white popped in and out of her vision as voices started asking her questions all at once, one reporter over the next. They all sounded so eerily similar that they all blended together into an increasingly annoying white noise that annoyed the hell out of her.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted at them, but they might as well not have heard her. It was utter chaos as they pushed closer, shoving microphones in her face as she backed away. They were surrounding her on all sides – she was trapped. She knew they wouldn't hurt her, they were just trying to make a living, but that didn't stop her from feeling somewhat threatened and uneasy. She sucked in another large breath. "GO AWAY!" she yelled. This seemed to make them pause, only to come back full force just when she thought she'd gotten to them.

She eventually started to decipher individual questions amongst the many being thrown at her. "Who are you and what is your association with the Avengers?"

"How did it feel to triumph over evil with your small victory?"

"What is your opinion on today's actions towards feminism?"

"What do you think made you a target for the robbery on Saturday?"

"What do you plan to do now that the whole fiasco is over?"

It's not over yet… she thought bitterly as she glared at the nosy reporters. She could barely get a word in, let alone answer of all of their questions. She spun around, looking for an escape, but there wasn't one. She was tempted to just shove them all out of her way, but seeing as that would most definitely be on the news in less than a few hours, she decided against it.

Just when she thought she would get a major migraine from all the flashes and questions being thrown, her blonde saviour with sunglasses pushed his way into the center of the circle. She had to admit that she was rather surprised to see him there. He had been sent on a mission last night and hadn't been since.

The paparazzi's voices only grew louder as the Avenger appeared seemingly out of nowhere and the microphones were shoved even closer to their faces. Clint grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the crowd. The reporters backed away almost instantly. It was obvious they were scared of the famed Hawkeye who had probably yet to smile in any of their pictures. He didn't look too happy right now either. Tania followed him wordlessly, but when the paparazzi kept following them, Clint picked up the pace. She did so as well, running from the cameras and the people who really should mind their own business. It was a close call, but once they made it into the lobby, JARVIS prevented the others from getting in by locking the doors and telling them in his robotic British voice to basically shove off.

She turned to Clint who let go of her wrist. "Thanks. I owe you one."

He removed his sunglasses and gave her a crooked smile. "No problem, but you might want to stay out of the public eye for a little while."

"But I have twelve more cars to deliver."

He blinked, confused. "Um, what?"

"Oh, you weren't there before breakfast yesterday. In order for Tony to forgive me, he told me to take all of his cars to the auto shop a few blocks away to get a new paint job, and I've only dropped off three so far."

"That bastard." She could honestly say she was a little taken aback by his response. "He knows better than any of us what the paparazzi is like, yet he sent you out anyway to be devoured by those idiots."

"Just for the record, I totally could have handled them without you, which is also probably the reason Tony sent me out in the first place, because I can handle myself, as I proved yesterday."

"I have no doubt you would have escaped unscathed, but it might have taken you awhile and you might have been late for work."

Tania's smile dropped from her face. "What time is it?"

"It's quarter past eight."

"Oh, phew. I'm not late yet. I still have time to drop off another car."

"I wouldn't recommend it."

"But I have to."

"I think you're smart enough to figure out a way to deliver them without getting bombarded by them again." He flashed her a grin before heading for the elevator.

Tania smirked. Challenge accepted. Of course she knew he was just tricking her into not going outside to protect her, but she decided to pretend not to know that as she dialed a towing company from her cell phone.

"Hi, this is Tania Banks of Stark International, I need you to tow a few cars for me…"


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Greetings! :D Hope you guys are all living your lives well. Anyway, this is chapter 19 and I can't believe I've come this far. This is the longest story (fanfiction or not) that I have ever written, and the fact that I have so many reviews touches my heart. So thank you to all those who have been with me since the beginning as well as the newcomers, the readers, the followers, the favoriters, etc. Side note: what Graham says about guys, I have no idea if it's true, but let's just say that for the sake of this Universe, it is :P Enjoy the story! :D**

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"Oh my God…" Tania's jaw dropped.

On the screen, there was a large photo of her and Clint rushing to get to Avengers Tower, and from the angle of the camera, it looked like they were holding hands. The headline read: HAWKEYE GOT HIMSELF A WOMAN? Honestly, reporters were running out of catchy headlines these days.  
She swiped her finger down the touch screen tablet to read more of the article. It detailed how they suspected that she and Clint were secretly banging because she was seen going into Avengers Tower but not coming out for long periods of time. There was also a picture of her and Clint in the lobby in the two seconds before he had let go of her wrist. He had removed his sunglasses and was looking at her, and she was looking at him because they were having a conversation. But they sleezy reporters seemed to think they could lie to their readers and string this giant lie like a spider with its intricate web, and she and Clint were caught in the middle.

There were several detailed suspicions that they were secretly dating behind the other Avengers' backs, that they had eloped (Tania did have a tendency to wear rings…), that he was cheating on the Black Widow with her (which was ridiculous, no one would leave a girl like Natasha for someone like Tania), that she was sleeping her way into their little group so that she could stab them all in the backs because she was really working for the bad guy, anything and everything was examined, poked at, stretched to the point of being on the thin line between believable and not.

"Ugh!" Tania tossed the device none too gently on the kitchen countertop and rested her head in her hands.

"What's up, Buttercup?" came Tony's voice from behind her. He walked up to her and sat down on the stool next to her. "You seem peeved."

"I am."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not have a repeat performance of the other day." He faced away from the counter and rested both his elbows on it, looking to the side to stare at her obviously upset form. "Hey, you okay?"

Tania didn't make a show of moving. "Yeah. Yeah I'm okay. It's just… guh! Stupid tabloids." She passed the tablet to him and he picked it up, staring at the screen.

He whistled. "So, you and Barton huh? Thought you were head over heels for Rogers?"

Tania let her head sink and hit the countertop and groaned. "They will do anything for a good story these days."

"I believe you deflected the question."

"No, Clint and I are not together."

"Not that question."

And then suddenly, things got serious – like really serious. They were alone in one of the kitchens that the Avengers hardly ever used. Tania had wanted privacy and Tony had wanted to make sure that all his cars had arrived safely. They had.

Tania didn't know what to say. Could she trust Tony to keep a secret? To keep the secret? He seemed to know anyway, what would this change? He teased them constantly about their feelings for one another, so why not let him in on the truth? She sucked in a breath.

"Yes."

He seemed taken aback by the simple fact she had answered his question at all. "Wait, really?" he sat up straighter and swiveled on his stool to face her. "You love Capsicle?"

She gritted her teeth and nodded. "I do. I love him and I only realized it this morning and you can't. Tell. Anyone." She growled, lifting her face towards him menacingly.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Okay, never thought you'd actually realize it. Congrats Piggy."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't call me that."

"Fine, fine." He raised his palms up in the air and leaned back a little. "Geez, if you turned green and lived in a trash can you could get a role on Sesame Street."

"I believe that 'role' has been filled."

"I 'believe' that you're missing the point. The point is that you love Steve. Who else knows?"

"Just you. You're the first to know. As I said before, I just came to this realization today. Please don't tell Pepper, I want to be able to say it myself."

"Don't worry, I won't risk the wrath of an upset Pepper."

She laughed bitterly. "Of course."

"Listen T, I think you should-"

"I like that nickname better."

"-just tell him. Just walk right up to him, look him in the eye, and show him what he's been missing." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes Tony, I'm going to lour the man from the forties into a healthy relationship by 'showing him what he's been missing'."

"Sure! Why not? I guarantee that no man will be able to resist you once the clothes start coming off. Especially not Steve, who's been about as far as half of first base."

"Tony, that's not how I want to start my relationship with him. Is that how you started your relationship with Pepper?"

"Woah, woah, woah. We're completely different, you cannot compare us."

"Can't I? The female business woman falling in love with the super hero and taking forever to actually get together? Sound familiar?"

"The circumstances are different!"

"Of course they are. I'm just saying that we're similar."

They stared at each other for a few minutes before Tony shifted in his seat and licked his lips, clearly uncomfortable with how close to home this conversation was getting, "Look, just tell him that you love him and get it over with."

"I… it's not that simple."

"It is! Just walk up to him, say 'I love you', and then make your way up to his bedroom and BANG! You're in a relationship. Pun intended." He smiled cheekily and Tania punched his arm. "Ow! You're starting to act like Pepper." He mumbled.

"Yeah, well, maybe your girlfriend is rubbing off on me."

"I'm not so sure that's such a good thing."

"… Tony, how did you tell Pepper you loved her?"

The billionaire hesitated, fiddling with the tablet on the counter nervously. "Um… ahem, uh, well, um… I, uh… I kind of… I kind of just blurted it out." He stared down at the marble of his countertop and clasped his hands together. "She was chewing me out for almost dying during the whole Chitauri fiasco, and then I just kind of blurted it while she was mid-rant and in tears and… and then we kissed. I'm getting a drink, you want anything? Whisky? Scotch? Martini? Plain old beer?"

He stood up and walked around the island to the fridge and opened it to fetch a bottle and pour it into a glass he got form a cupboard beneath the counter. He poured the liquid in before she even had a chance to respond and threw it back.

"Um… no thank you." Tania answered feebly. She watched as he poured another one and drank it as well. When he reached for it a third time, she wrenched the bottle from his grasp.

"Hey!" he protested, extending his hand towards his stolen item. She pulled it back with a smirk.

"No more for you." She stood up and put it back in the fridge while Tony crossed his arms and pouted like a little kid.

"Fine. There's more where that came from."

"Don't make me call Pepper up here."

He huffed. "Fine. You win. But I guarantee that you will pay for that."

"Do what you wish. As long as my secret never gets out, I can take whatever you throw at me."

"Hm. Cocky, are we? Hungry for some unused-?"

"TONY STARK!"

"Yes Piggy?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Nope. This is too much fun."

"I liked T better."

"Eh, until I pick one I'll probably just go between the two." He walked around the island again and spotted her purse, the same one she had worn that day at the mall. "Nice purse. I see you got the strap fixed."

"I did." She nodded and followed him around the kitchen. "It's like nothing ever happened." A thought struck her suddenly. "Hey, I can't believe I haven't thought of this before."

"Thought of what?"

She whirled to him. "My designs. I can show you my designs."

"Designs?"

"Yes, for the billboards and the book cover and the commercials and stuff."

"Hm. Yes, good idea. Come on up to my room. Excepting the lab, I work best in there." He winked at her and started for the elevator. Tania rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse as she made to follow him.

Deep in the folds of the fabric of her bag, beneath the belongings that jangled with her every step, buried inside the hidden pocket of the fabric, was a bug. Not just any bug, one that was made of metal and blinked red.

Later that night after dinner, Tania approached Pepper to tell her about Steve, but she was intercepted by the man in question. He caught up with her in the hallway to Pepper's office. This was the first time she'd seen him since her realization, and she couldn't hold back the butterflies that exploded in her abdomen when she saw him in all his glory.

"Hey." She greeted him, the blood rushing to her cheeks involuntarily. Steve didn't seem to notice, too preoccupied with his own thoughts, apparently.

"Hi. So, um, I read an interesting article today…"

She froze in her tracks. Shit. "Which article?"

"One… that depicted you… and Clint…" he looked down, expression unreadable. She bit her lip and started playing with her ring nervously.

"It's not true." She blurted. "It's not. Clint rescued me from a paparazzi attack and they snapped a gazillion photos of us to make it look like we were dating. It's nothing. I swear."

Steve's shoulders relaxed from the tense position she hadn't noticed he was in and he looked up from the floor to stare into her eyes. He smiled. "That's a relief."

She raised an eyebrow. "A relief?" Oh this might be fun…

He started to turn red and stutter from embarrassment. "Wha- I-I um… I just… well, Clint doesn't really seem like… your type." He finished lamely, face red as a tomato.

"And what is my type?"

"Um, I… don't really know. Someone…reliable? And, honest. Trustworthy. Loyal. Chivalrous." He chanced a glance at her and couldn't hold her gaze for more than a split second.

"Are you saying that Clint isn't any of those things?"

"No!" he hurried to correct himself. "Clint is a great guy and I'm sure you two would…" he gulped, "… would be… very happy. Ahem, together." He was almost whispering now, head down.

"Steve, loosen up! We're not dating. There is nothing between us. He's like a second brother to me. There could never be anything there. Not when…" she bit down on her lip hard to prevent herself from confessing. Why am I not telling him again? "Not when it's so obvious he and Natasha have a bond that's unbreakable. I don't know if it's romance or what, but it's definitely something I don't want to interfere with." She smiled at him and he had finally stopped blushing. He returned it.

"Good. Because if you two were dating, I'm not sure you two would last very long." And then he had to and open his mouth again.  
"What do you mean by that?"

"What? I mean, I just…" he sighed. "Well, he's an assassin. He kills people for a living, he's always going on missions, he's very secretive, he-"

"I what?" None other than Clint Barton strode into the hallway from Pepper's office, with the red head in question not far behind him. Tania's playful smirk dropped right off her face. What had started out as a little teasing to see if he was jealous quickly turned into what could possibly be a dramatic confrontation.

"Nothing!" Steve squeaked. Oh boy.

"What's going on here?" Pepper inquired.

Tania desperately tried to salvage this horrible turn of events. "Nothing! Steve and I were just discussing a ridiculous article that said that Clint and I were dating." Stick as close to honesty as you can.

Clint's eyebrows rose. "Guess I should have expected that. But don't worry, you're not my type."

"That's what he said." Tania jutted her thumb at Steve, hoping to make what had inadvertently been an insult sound like an impassive statement.  
Clint regarded the two of them with the trained eyes and senses of a master assassin for a few seconds before walking up to Steve and patting him on the back once. "She's all yours Captain." And then he continued walking, unable to see both Steve and Tania's faces turn bright pink.

Pepper seemed rather confused. "Is there a reason you're all lingering outside my office?" she asked, not sounding rude, just genuinely curious. Tania jumped at her chance.

"Yes! I wanted to talk to you." She grabbed the C.E.O's elbow and quickly pulled her back into her office. "See you later Steve! We'll continue that dance lesson first chance I get!" she called over her shoulder just before the door shut. Therefore, she did not see the blinding grin light up his face or the little second-long victory dance he did before making his way down the hall. Pepper did though. Hey, the walls were glass, what was she gonna do?

She sat behind her desk in her office chair and clasped hands together in her lap. "What can I do for you?"

"Pepper…" suddenly… confessing seemed so much harder in real life than in theory; which was absurd, considering she had told Tony the same thing less than a few hours ago. But this was different… somehow. It was her best girl friend, someone who had suspected her feelings for Steve from the beginning. She inhaled and then forced it out. "I think I'm in love with Steve." She said all in a rush. Somehow, Pepper understood her.

"Really?" she blinked. Then her lips quirked into a smile and she clapped her hands. "Oh that's great! Tania I'm so happy for you! It took you long enough."

She gave a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I guess it did."

"Did you tell him yet?"

"No."

"Well why not?"

"How do you just walk up to your best friend and tell him you love him? When? Is there even a such thing as an appropriate time to state that kind of thing? Do I just flat out tell him I love him out of nowhere or do I make this long and cheesy spiel that will make my eyes roll and water at the same time? There are so many unknown variables here I… I don't know what to do."

"Well, first things' first. Are you absolutely sure you love him?

"One hundred percent."

"Good. And how long do you think you can last before telling him?"

Tania actually had to think about that one. She bit her lip. Could she last… forever? If she never told him, then the possibility that they would be friends for all time would almost be cemented, a definite. But she would always be craving more. Could she deal with those cravings while living with him? While seeing him every day? While loving him unconventionally twenty-four/seven? She supposed it was better than one of the other alternatives: not seeing him at all.

"Forever if I have to."

"Are you really willing to wait for him that long? You love him that much?"

She hesitated, but then spoke with the utmost confidence and surety. "Absolutely." There wasn't a doubt in her mind.

Pepper leaned back in her chair and beamed. "Well then I would just tell him. How, when, and where are all up to you."

"But what if he doesn't love me back?"

"Tania, I am very sure that he loves you."

"As a friend."

"He cares about you very much-"

"Like a friend. Or worse. What if he thinks of me like a sister? Like the way I feel about Clint, only brotherly? Then it would just be super awkward between us! I don't want that to happen. My friendship with Steve is literally the best thing that has ever happened to me! What am I gonna do?"

"Tania, relax. Okay, I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure he loves you just as much as you do him. I've seen the way he looks at you, the way he acts around you. He's protective of you, he was jealous about you and Clint, he cares about you, he respects you, he's willing to put himself on the line for you, he's willing to forgive you so easily, his affection for you isn't exactly a secret."

"But Pepper-"

"I think I know what this is." She stood up and walked around her desk to approach Tania, who had seated herself on the chair opposite Pepper's. The red head got down on her knees so that she was eye level with Tania (almost, she was looking up a bit). "You're in denial. You know you love him, but you're so blinded by this new realization that you can't see what's right in front of you. Everyone else but you can plainly see that he loves you. My advice for you is to wait. Not too long, maybe a week, no more. And give yourself time to see. If you pay attention, I guarantee that you'll spot the little signs that give away how much he loves you." She stood up and gave her friend a reassuring look. "Go get him tiger. Take your time. But not too much time." She winked and sat back down at her desk to get back to work.

"Thanks Pepper. I appreciate the advice."

"No problem. Any time you wanna talk, I'm here." Tania nodded, but just as she was about to leave, Pepper stopped her. "Oh wait!" the brunette turned around again. "If you really need more advice, I suggest you call your brother. He may not be a girl and he may not completely understand the situation, but he knows you better than anyone and I'm telling you that something he says will be helpful to you. Just you wait."

With that, the two girls parted ways after whispered words of farewell. Tania took her cell phone out of her white purse and stared at it. She flipped through her contacts for Graham's number and just kept staring. Should she call him? He was the very definition of over protective brother, and girls didn't go to brothers for relationship advice as far as she knew (she certainly never had before). After a long period of time, she pressed "Dial" and brought the device to her ear as it rang.

"Yello?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd answer the phone like that."

"Hey Tani, what's up?"

"I need your advice." She stepped into the elevator, thankful that no one else was in there. She was surprised that she hardly ran into anyone there. The Tower was huge and despite having only seven occupants (not counting the workers downstairs), there was only one elevator in the entire building (maybe two, she couldn't remember…). Either way, she was grateful for the privacy. Even if there was a security camera staring at her the entire time.

"About what?"

She bit her lip again. It was going to bleed if she kept doing that. "Umm…" she was hesitant to say anything in front of the camera. "Hang on, I need to find a private place first."

"Why didn't you just call me after finding the private place?"

"… shut up! I was desperate."'

"Desperate? Oh no, did you forget your precious snow globes or something?"

"I said shut it!"

"Haha, nope! Did you find privacy yet?"

She looked up at the floor number. "Nope. Almost."

"This sounds pretty serious if you're going to talk to me alone. But it's obviously not too serious seeing as you're not crying or asking me to meetyou in person."

"Nice deducing skills Sherlock."

"It's elementary my dear, Watson."

"Oh please."

"Are you alone yet?"

"No! Gosh! I'm stepping out of the elevator now. You're like a five year old! You're so impatient."

"Well excuse me for being a little jittery. I have a date with this really hot girl in fifteen minutes so make this quick."

"Really? Do I know her?"

"Nah, she goes to my school."

Tania tossed her purse into the walk in closet and made her way over to giant bed. She did a running start and then leapt onto the mattress, bouncing with a sigh. "Okay, I'm alone. I want to talk to you about… relationships."

There was silence on the other end of the phone, only quiet static. Tania let her hair down from her up-do and fluffed it, letting herself relax after a long day. She leaned back into the softness of her blanket as she waited for his response. Finally, one came.

"Is this about Steve?"

"How'd you know?" she asked, actually surprised.

She could almost hear his eye roll. "It was kinda obvious. Actually no, I take that back. It was written in glowing neon green in size four hundred font plastered down the side of Avengers Tower.

"Har de har har."

"I'm serious! It was that obvious!"

"Look, I need your advice and if you're just going to joke around-"

"Okay, okay, I'll sober up. So what's the problem?"

"I… I think I love him."

Silence. "You think?"

"I mean, I love him. But I'm not sure if he loves me back. Pepper told me to wait and look for the signs but I just thought I should get your opinion, seeing as your family and all."

"Aww… I'm touched."

"Graham, I'm being serious here."

"I'd do what Pepper says. Look for the signs. I could tell you right now that he loves you more than anything in the whole world, yet because I know you're as stubborn as a freaking mule-"

"Hey!"

"You won't believe me. Spend some quality time with him and actually open your eyes for once. Take it from me. If a guy takes any excuse to touch you, any excuse at all, it means he cares about you. If he's only touching you in all the wrong places, he wants to get in your pants. Or in your case, pencil skirts. But if he like, grabs your hand while you're on a walk-" Central Park… "or asks you to dance-" I asked him to dance… "-or things that like that- Oh! If he touches your face in any way, it's a clear sign of 'I love you'." He kissed my black eye… speaking of which…

"Graham, did you see the news recently?"

Obviously confused by the change of subject, her brother didn't answer right away. "Um, no, why?"

So that's why he wasn't going ballistic on her. Well it was better if she told him rather than he found out by a magazine article or something. "Well, there's an article about me-"

"Really? That's so cool!" she heard the ruffling of fabric as he jostled on a bed.

She grimaced. "Not really. I got mugged the other day."

Silence. "You WHAT?"

She winced. "I got mugged. But don't worry, I got my purse back, nothing's stolen, and the only thing that's bruised is my pride." Oh, wait. "And my left eye."

"He clocked you?!"

"Graham-"

"When did this happen?"

"Saturday."

"This happened two days ago and you didn't tell me?!"

"I was a little busy!"

"Tania!"

"There's more."

She could picture his scowl so clearly in her mind it was almost like he was there. "What is it?"

"There's another article depicting that Hawkeye and I are together, like 'dating' together. It's not true. It looks like it from the photos, but it's not true. I was bombarded by the paparazzi the other day and Clint rescued me. That's all it was."

"I sense drama."

"You got that right."

"Listen Tania, I'm not at all happy about this-"

"I can imagine."

"But if you'd just told me-"

"What for? What difference would it have made? You couldn't have prevented anything. I thought you would see it on the news."

He sighed. "Look, just next time… tell me ASAP, mmkay? I worry about you, and I just wanna know if you're okay."

She softened. "Yeah, okay. I'm fine now. The bruise is healing nicely and it should be gone within a few days."

"That's good. I can't say I like the image of you with a black eye."

"Me neither. Luckily, no one around here's acknowledged it. Even Tony's skirted around the subject. I think they're all warming up to me. Like we're all good friends now."

"Even Clint?"

"Yes, even Clint. He's like a second brother."

"Hey, woah. That spot his dutifully taken."

"Yes I know, no one could ever replace you. I'm just saying, our bond has grown stronger – my bond with all of them has grown stronger."

"Steve's too?"

"Especially Steve's."

"Well, once you figure it out I'm sure you'll have no problem telling him. Don't wait for him to do it first though, guys tend to take forever with that stuff."

She chuckled. "Alright. Well I guess I'll-"

A doorbell rang in the background and she could hear footsteps and more rustling of fabric as Graham presumably stood up.

"Gotta go Tania. Good luck!" and then he hung up. She listened to the dial tone for a while, before placing the phone on her night stand and turning off the lamp.

**A/N. Again, don't know if what Graham's advice about guys is true, but let's just say it is :P**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N Hiya! Sorry this one took so long, I've been super busy with other stuff that I spent hours on because my mind refused to cooperate. This weekend is super busy but I'll try and find time to squeeze in the next chapter by Tuesday. Hope you guys like this one! Also, this chapter was originally going to be longer, but I cut it down because if I didn't it would have been SUPER long and this was a good length/place to cut it. Enjoy! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY

Tania was knocked to the floor from the force of the hit, hitting the hardwood with a grunt. She tried to roll to the side but a foot was quickly planted firmly in her way, one on either side. She braced her hands flat on the floor and slid her body through the opponent's legs to escape, but the person flipped and landed on her back harshly, cracking it in what she hoped wasn't a broken spine. There wasn't much pain, so she assumed it would only bruise.

"Okay! I give, I give!" she tapped the thigh squeezing her torso twice. The fighter released her and she took in a deep breath of air as she rolled over to face them. "Geez Natasha, little harsh there don't you think?" she asked, rubbing her back.

The assassin was stone-faced and simply turned around and walked a few feet away, not bothering to offer her a hand to get up. Grumbling, Tania pushed herself to a standing position and headed for her water bottle on the bench. She sat down and took a large gulp. She screwed the cap back on and then continued to talk, seeing as Natasha didn't appear to want to do so.

"I mean, are you angry at me something? This is only my second lesson and you're beating the crap out of me. I'm gonna wake up super sore tomorrow." She wiped her forehead and the back of her neck with a white towel and smiled at Natasha. No response. She was busy tweaking the robot punching bags. "Nat?"

She turned to her, eyes hard and cold as stone. "My name is Natasha."

Tania raised both her eyebrows in surprise. "Okay, Natasha. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

For a while they just stared, each wanting to know what the other was thinking. Eventually, Natasha sighed and finished her work with the robot. "It's fine. We're going to do some drills on speed; your dodging speed to be exact. Step up to the dummy."

Tania did so hesitantly. "It's not going to kill me is it?"

There was a second where no one said anything. "It shouldn't."

"… that's reassuring." She muttered sarcastically. Despite that, she stood in front of her new opponent, hands up. "Okay, I'm ready."

Natasha whacked the robot in the back of the head and it whirred and started up, immediately threw a punch which Tania was able to duck. The robot then went for an uppercut and she leaped backward to avoid it. "Stay in proximity." The agent ordered.

"Seriously, are you mad at me?" Tania asked as she stepped closer to the dummy. She quickly sidestepped a kick to the stomach. "I mean, you've been going really hard on me today. I'm pretty sure I'll wake up black and blue tomorrow and-" she ducked another kick, this one aimed towards her head. "-you've been subtly glaring at me the entire lesson." She tried to catch a fist aimed for her chest but the robot hit its mark anyway, causing her to stumble and cough as she stepped backward. "Is this about the whole, 'rumour about sleeping with Clint' thing? Because there's nothing-" the dummy head-butted her in the stomach and she went flying several feet back. She hit the floor with a loud thud and grunt. She groaned and placed her elbows and forearms on the hardwood to push herself into a sitting position while clutching her abdomen.

She heard the familiar sound of footsteps echoing throughout the room as the robot powered down and slumped. She looked up to see that Natasha was standing above her, facial expression plain. They had a little staring contest before the red head sighed and held out her hand, silently offering her aid. Tania took it and was pulled to her feet. "You're right. I am angry. But not at you."

"Then at who? Clint? Because he had nothing to do with this either. It was all the paparazzi's fault."

"I know. I'm angry at myself." She turned suddenly and headed straight for the bench. Tania followed her and sat down beside her. Seeing that Natasha didn't look like she was going to continue talking, she decided to prompt her a bit.

"Why?"

Nothing was said, and Tania was beginning to doubt Natasha's trust in her. But just when she was about to give up hope that their friendship hadn't blossomed at all, Natasha spoke no louder than a whisper. "Because of you." She didn't say it an accusing way or an angry way. It was more of a statement than anything.

"Me?" Tania squeaked. Having a master assassin angry because of her wasn't exactly on her bucket list. She trusted Natasha (to a certain extent), but she didn't know her as well as some others (cough Clint cough). It was scary, not knowing if your friend was going to literally stab you in the back with a knife, but she got through it. They were Avengers and the Avengers were heroes, morally good people (with traumatizing pasts and questionable actions). At least she hoped.

"Yes, you. You've managed to worm your way into our group simply by bumping into Cap in the streets. You charmed every single one of us easily and within days we were comfortable around you, hanging out with you, and protective of you. I let some of my guard down, and you managed to peek inside and that alone makes me uncomfortable. It's not your fault, it's what any curious person would do. I'm just trying to keep everyone out of what's been secret my entire life. Only Clint has ever been able to see what lies beneath, and that took him years. To suddenly let not only you, but five other people into my life no questions asked? It's… hard. I'm struggling. I don't want anyone to think I'm being mean, but there's my occasionally bitchy exterior that scares people away, yet all of you are still here. I'm not comfortable letting you in yet Tania, but if you stay here for a while… I think one day I could be."

"So… you're angry at yourself because… you let your guard down?" At Natasha's solemn nod, Tania felt her heart clench for her. She had no idea what Natasha had been through, but if there was one thing she did know, it was that she wanted Natasha to trust her on her own terms. She shifted on the bench. "Well, I'm going to tell you this. I'm not trying to invade your personal space, but in my defense I have no idea what your boundaries are, and I promise you I won't try to make you uncomfortable, but that's kind of what friends do. They trust one another by letting them know everything, and yeah, sometimes 'friends' stab each other in the back, but those are the worst kinds of friends. But I'm not one of them. And I know what you're thinking. 'How can I believe you?' It's quite simple really. You choose to. There's no way to prove someone's trustworthy or not, they could change their ways at any point in time. But if you choose to trust me, then it will affect everything. You can choose whether or not you want to trust me. And I guess I'll let you decide. Just so you know, actions speak louder than words." Tania placed both palms on her knees and pushed herself to a standing position. "I think I'm done for today. I'll catch ya later." She turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing in the eerily silent gymnasium.

Just when she thought was going to be able to walk away with a perfect dramatic exit – which rarely ever happened considering how clumsy she was – Natasha said something that stopped her in her tracks.

"I love Clint." Okay, random.

She turned around. The assassin hadn't moved. "Umm… like on what level?" where was this conversation going?

"Actions speak louder than words." Natasha held up her right hand to show her a golden ring, but moved it to the left hand on the ring finger. It took a second, but it finally clicked.

"You guys are married?!" Tania ran back over to the bench and grabbed the woman's hand to stare at the ring. It was fairly simple, plain gold with a carving of a bow on top, like when you tie a ribbon.

Natasha chuckled. "No, we're not married. These are just…" she paused, referring to the rings. Tania filled in the blank.

"Promise rings?"

"I never thought of it that way, but yeah. Promise rings. The bow is a homonym for bow, as in Clint's bow and arrow."

"Clever."

"That was the idea. If one of us were ever captured, they would never realize the symbolism of what it meant."

"Does Clint have one too?"

She nodded. "Yeah, his is made of copper to look red, to represent my fiery hair and personality." She smiled, a real smile. "In case you haven't noticed, this is me deciding to trust you."

Tania was taken aback. "Already? But like you said, it's only been a few weeks-"

"If the others trust you, then I do too. But know that if you hurt any of them, especially Clint, I will hunt you down and kill you." She said it with all the nonchalance of someone talking about the weather. That didn't ease Tania's fear.

"Um, don't worry. I don't plan to."

"Good." She stood up. "I haven't exactly let down my walls, but I have faith that with the way things are going, I will eventually. And you'll be one of the first to see."

And after all that, Natasha was the one that made the dramatic exit.

After a long day at work, Tania entered the kitchen for the third time that day. Dinner had long passed, and everyone had gone their separate ways. She had barely spoken to Steve all day, only seeing him during dinner. She had returned to her room right after the meal, only to return a couple hours later for desert. It was about eight thirty at night when the elevator doors opened and she stepped into the kitchen yet again. It was pitch black in the room, the only light coming from the city lights outside the window behind the dining table; oh, and from the open fridge where someone was rummaging rather noisily inside.

Just as Tania was about to tell JARVIS to turn on the lights, the figure stood up, and it was massive. The shadow was completely black in the shadow of the darkness as the fridge closed and was at least six foot three. Heart pounding in her chest, Tania let out a blood-curdling scream and turned for the elevator, only to see that the door was closed and heading for another floor. "No, no, no…" she turned back to face the intruder, who was now staring at her, unmoving. In the darkness, she couldn't see his eyes, but his head was angled towards her, almost curious.

"Jarvis! Lights!" she was afraid of what she might see. A man pointing a gun at her, Loki with his scepter, an alien scrounging for food, Justin Hammer looking for Stark, Peggy Carter (though most of these were almost impossible, the thoughts and fears wouldn't leave). But when the room was illuminated, she saw that it was none of those things.

There, standing by the fridge with his arms full of food and pop tarts in his mouth, was Thor. He was wearing his signature battle armour, with long red cape and metal chest plate. His hammer among the pile of food he was carrying and his hair was down, hanging behind his shoulders. This was the first time she had seen the God in person and he looked so much more… God-like… than in the pictures. They stared at each other for several moments before the elevator dinged, startling Tania to death.

The doors opened to reveal a panicked Steve in boxers and a T-shirt holding his shield, stance firm and face determined. "Tania!" He spotted her and ran in front of her, standing protectively. But when he saw Thor, a look of confusion crossed his face, then relief, then happiness. He lowered his shield and allowed his fellow Avenger a smile. "Thor!" he walked over to the God of Thunder and helped him place all of his food on the counter before clasping his hand in some sort of manly handshake. "When did you get back?"

"I have only just arrived. I apologize for the lack of warning, but the decision was made but an hour ago by Odin, and I made haste to see my friends." He grinned warmly, his voice booming through the silent room. He looked to Tania, his demeanor that of a giant teddy bear despite the thunder rumbling outside. "My apologies for the fright milady." He bowed, "I do not believe we have met."

Tania gulped. She was no prepared for this. Still, she took a few tentative steps forward. "We haven't. I'm Tania Banks and you must be Thor."

"That I am." He strode forward and took her hand to place a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. She blushed a bright pink and caught Steve in her peripheral vision, frowning. Why would he be frowning?

Thor stood up to his full height and she had to crane her neck to look him in the face from so close. The elevator dinged again, and out came Tony, Pepper, Clint, and Natasha. They spilled out of the elevator in a rush. Tony and Pepper appeared to have just rolled out of bed and thrown on some clothes, whereas the assassins had their hands on the arms they had hidden 24/7 somewhere on their person. But then they saw Thor and relaxed somewhat.

Tony was the first to speak. "Okay, what did he break this time?"

"Nothing, Man of Iron. I am of innocence."

"Yeah, this time." He mumbled under his breath. Pepper hit his arm and stepped forward, combing her fingers through her hair a couple times before speaking to their new guest.

"Welcome back Thor, it's good to see you."

"It is good to see you too, Lady Potts."

"Are you here to stay, or…?"

"I am in need of a place to rest for the night, for I plan on visiting the Lady Jane in the morning. However, I will return if need be."

"Great. Tony will lead you to your room."

Tony's eyes widened comically. "What? But I-" Pepper sent him a glare and he shut up, grumbling to himself. "Fine. Good to have you back Point Break, let's get you to your room." He and Thor entered the elevator just as Bruce arrived on the scene. He was wearing the same clothes he was wearing earlier (much like Tania, Clint, and Natasha) and was tense as the string on Clint's bow being pulled to its maximum. When he noticed Thor, he slackened a bit, but not by much.

"What's going on?"

"Shakespeare in the park over here decided it would be just dandy to barge in here without my permission." Tony explained, jutting a thumb over his shoulder towards the might God behind him.

"Good evening Doctor Banner."

"Hi Thor."

"I hope I did not disturb your slumber."

Bruce removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose and the inside corners of his eyes. "No, you didn't."

"Very well. Come Tony, we shall head to my new chambers."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." The doors slid closed behind them after Bruce stepped out.

"What happened?" he asked with a sigh.

"Thor scared the crap out of Tania." Clint provided, sliding his knife back into… wherever it came from. Probably his boot. Yeah, his boot. Tania glared at him playfully and he winked at her. With the knowledge of Clint and Natasha's relationship (Clintasha? BlackHawk? NaCl*? HawkWidow?) Tania felt entirely at ease around the two, like she was in on some super awesome BFF secret. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Sorry about that guys. Why didn't anyone tell me he was here?"

Everyone looked around at everyone else. "Because none of us knew." Pepper stated shrugging her shoulders.

"How did he get in here without anyone knowing?"

"I let him in Ms. Banks." JARVIS intervened in his British robot voice.

Tania sighed. "Well I guess that explains it."

There was an awkward silence that followed, during which no one knew what to say. After looking at the counter that had somehow been emptied of food (Thor must have taken it with him when he and Tony left), Pepper broke the awkwardness by stating that they should probably get more groceries. Tania immediately volunteered for the task.

"I'll go Pepper. I know this great little grocery store a few blocks from here that sells the best peanut butter and a lot of other stuff too. It's open twenty-four seven so I can go right now."

"Uh, Tania," Steve called with a frown on his face, "I don't think that's such a good idea. The paparazzi are still out there and they could ambush you at any second."

"Relax, Steve, you worry too much. I'll be fine."

"If you insist on going, at least let someone come with you. I would, but I promised Pepper that I'd help her cousin's son with his history homework on the second world war. She's setting me up on Video Cam… whatever that is."

Tania chuckled. "It's when you can see the person on the screen of a computer because they have a camera, and they can see you through their computer screen because you have a camera. It's like talking face to face only through a screen. You may want to change before the chat though." They both looked down and Steve flushed furiously when he realized what he was wearing. Tania blushed a bit too, but not out of embarrassment, more of the fact that this was the most of his skin she'd ever seen (legs, arms, neck, and face… not much is it?).

He cleared his throat. "Well, um… I'm gonna just… yeah. Change." He hurried away and into the second elevator on the other side of the room to the right of the dining room table and further down. When he was gone, Tania turned to the others.

"Just so you guys know, I don't need a bodyguard."

"Oh we know, the video more than proves that." Clint said, smirking. "Still, we'd all sleep a little better if you had one."

Tania wanted to stand her ground, she wanted to tell them off for thinking she was just some little girl who needed protecting, but she didn't. They knew she was a capable woman, they were just worried, they cared. It was a foreign concept, but she wanted to get used to it, and what better way to get used to it than to accept it. "Alright, fine. Which is it."

"I'd come with you Tania, but I don't think I'd make a very good body guard." Pepper admitted. "I mean, I have pepper spray, but I couldn't possibly do much should anything happen. I mean, I can handle the paparazzi, but a whole swarm is rather overwhelming. I'm also sure that Tony is waiting for me upstairs and Thor's probably asleep."

"Thanks anyway Pepper."

"Honestly, I'd be glad to, but Natasha and I have a mission tonight, and despite not needing to go right now, we'd most likely have to leave you halfway through the trip. Sorry." Clint looked sincerely apologetic.

"That's fine. I don't want to hold you back." She answered, somewhat relieved. Everyone turned to Bruce, who's eyes were flitting from person to person around the room.

Reading all of their minds, he shook his head. "I don' t think I'm the right man for the job. With the other lurking around, it's never safe to go outside and-"

"Suck it up Bruce, you're going with Tania." Clint ordered, crossing his arms.

Bruce looked suddenly nervous. "I'm telling you, having the other guy outside is extremely dangerous-"

"Bruce, you'll do fine." Pepper assured him. She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging glance. "I have to go set Steve up on the Video Chat and make sure Thor and Tony are okay. Goodnight guys." She gave a little wave before entering the main elevator, followed by Clint and Natasha who were staring at Bruce with the exact same the look, that said "Do it. Or else."

Tania shifted from one foot to the other. "I'm not going to make you come with me Bruce, nor am I going to guilt you into it."  
He sighed. "I know. Come on. Let's go."

Tania smiled softly and caught up with him as they walked toward the second elevator. "Thanks. I appreciate your concern."

His lips twitched upwards. "I'm more concerned about myself hurting you than the paparazzi getting too close. Though if they get too close I met end up hurting you anyway." He frowned, as if just having though of that.

"But the paparazzi will never get that close because you'll be there. Perks of being the Hulk, eh?" she thought of elbowing him playfully but dismissed the idea. He didn't seem like one for touching.

He gave a dry chuckle. "Sure." The elevator gave a tiny jerk and then opened, revealing the lobby. The pair exited the tiny room and Bruce immediately tensed (even more so than before). Tania had a feeling that if she didn't pull him along, they would never get anywhere. She grabbed him by the crook of his elbow and lightly tugged him in the direction of the outside. Bruce scowled.

"When was the last time you were outside doctor?" she asked him. She needed small talk, silence just wouldn't do.

"When Loki was sent back to Asgard with Thor."

Tania gaped at him as they stepped into the night air outside. "But that was almost two months ago!"

"Was it?" he shrugged. He looked around them, searching for anything that might make the Hulk angry. At that moment, it was almost as if the other guy was waiting, biding his time for the kill. Bruce gulped.

"Well then I'm glad I'm bringing you out, you need fresh air."

"I think opening the windows in the lab is good enough for me."

"No, no, no, this is good for you. You can go out into the world. What about before the Avengers, where were you then?"

"I was a doctor working in Calcutta, India."

"And you were surrounded by people then, weren't you?"

"They didn't know what I was."

"And neither do these guys. Well, most of them. Some of have their suspicions, but no one can prove what you are. But their suspicious enough that won't come near us just in case. See? Perks."

"Tania-"

"TAXI!" she yelled, trying to flag down one of the bright yellow cars speeding past. Bruce's eyes widened and he pulled on her arm, tugging her backward almost roughly.

"Um, I'd prefer not to be in an enclosed space with two innocents for a long period of time. There are too many unknown variables."

"It's not for a long period of time, the store is only a few blocks away."

"Then would you mind if we walked there?"

"Well… alright, if it'll put your mind at ease."

"It would. Well, a little."

They started on their trek with the engines of passing cars and shouts of New Yorkers as the background noise. There were honks, broken brakes that squealed at traffic lights, people talking on their cell phones, footsteps as passersby crossed streets and rushed past on sidewalks. There was a cool breeze that blew through the Manhattan air and ruffled everyone's hair in annoying ways. The stars and moon above were covered by ominous black clouds and thunder rumbled in the background, but only Tania and Bruce knew that it wouldn't actually rain. The storm clouds were only a side effect of Thor's appearance on Earth.

They walked at a leisurely pace, contrary to those who were scurrying around trying to find shelter before the drops started falling. In about fifteen minutes, they reached a cute little store that was squished between two large skyscrapers that towered over its tiny structure. There was a crooked sign hanging above the front door that read: KELLA'S GROCERIES. Tania pressed her palm against the handle and pushed the door open, pulling Bruce into the store.

At the other side of the building, between all the aisles, Tania spotted an acne ridden teenager behind the counter filing their nails. The Stark employee rolled her eyes and led Bruce straight to the fruits and veggies section. They quickly browsed the shelves and refrigerated areas after grabbing a basket to carry their purchases in. After about ten minutes of searching, Tania froze. Noticing this, Bruce turned around to face her.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't suppose you have any money do you?"

His mouth twitched. Whether it was from humour or frustration, she couldn't tell. "No, sorry."

"I don't either. I left my purse at home." Bruce looked down at the ground for a few seconds, seemingly hesitant to say something. "Come on, spit it out."

He raised his head. "I have Tony's credit card. Well, one of them."

Tania's eyebrows shot up behind her bangs. "Ooooookaaaaaaay… why do you have that?"

He shrugged. "He gave it to me in case of emergencies. Never thought I'd need it. Guess he proved me wrong."

Tania smiled and her shook her head, laughing quietly. "I didn't get one."

The left side of his mouth quirked up. "You have money."

"I'm also not his Science Bro."

He rolled his eyes and continued shopping. Tania followed him not far behind, grabbing everything she thought they'd need based on what they had been eating (mostly takeout) since she'd been living in the Tower. She grabbed about five boxes of pop tarts, seeing as that was what Thor had had in his mouth when she found him. What an interesting way to meet somebody.

Left alone to her thoughts, Tania's mind wandered towards Steve. She replayed the entire scene in her head, looking for "the signs". Let's make a list.

Sign#1: Steve had rushed to the kitchen in his boxers and shield as soon as he had heard her scream. AKA: Steve cares about her. But to what extent?

Sign#2: Steve frowned when Thor kissed her hand. Was he jealous? Was he privy to something she wasn't, like the fact that maybe Thor's mouth was really dirty or something?

Sign#3: Steve wanted her to go to the grocery store with a bodyguard from people with cameras. If that wasn't overprotective, then she didn't know what was. But brothers and friends could be overprotective too. Take Graham for example.

Sign#4: He had offered to guard her himself, but he had made other commitments. He could have just wanted to spend time with her but was honourable enough that he didn't break his promise to Pepper.

Sign#5: He had blushed furiously when he realized he was in boxers in front of her. She was that he would have blushed just as red had anyone else seen his attire.

What did all these signs mean? Did they mean that he loved her just as much as she loved him? How much did she love him? Was it the whole "I would die a million times over to make you safe/happy" thing, or the "I want to be with you until the end of time" thing or maybe it was the "I love you as more than a friend but let's never get married" type thing. Well it wasn't the last one, she didn't exactly know what it was, but she just knew that she loved him more than that. To think about marriage before even going on a date with him was just-

CREEEEEAK! Tania turned around just in time to see the entire grocery store shelf of cans and boxed products smash into her and knock her to the floor with a loud CRASH! And she never even got the chance to scream.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N. Hi guys! Thanks for the wonderful reviews and what not. One of you pointed out to me that Bruce was in Calcutta and not Malaysia (I was only guessing). So thank you :D I'll see if I can change it after I post this. The next chapter will probably be posted by next saturday (emphasis on probably). We're getting close... to what? You'll have to read and find out :P Also, is there anyone else who is DYING to see Iron Man 3? I thought it was coming out soon, but it turns out it's coming out 2 months later than I though D: Oh well. More build up I guess. Enjoy! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Everything was blurry and dark, but things were slowly starting to clear out like clouds becoming invisible and fading into the background. Tania's eyes fluttered and she took a deep breath – only to realize her chest was constricted with something hard. She looked down and for a moment, all she saw was a chaotic mess of colours. But then her vision came back properly and she spotted the gigantic grocery shelf lying on top of her, with one of its boards that the products normally would be resting on pressing into her chest just below her collar bone. Any higher and it would be pressing against her throat. With a sigh of relief, dozens of metal cans rattled and slid off her body as she moved to join the hundred others scattered across the tile floor. Tania couldn't get up, the shelf was too heavy to lift.

And that was when she remembered Bruce. She struggled harder to push against the shelf, but the harder she tried, the more the back of her head throbbed. She had hit it pretty hard against the tile when she fell. Her arms were buried under several cans of tuna and salmon and she lifted them out slowly, feeling the soreness of practice with Natasha that morning catching up to her. She wrapped her fingers around the edge of the wood and pulled, but to no avail.

Her eyes searched her surroundings for something that could help, or maybe someone. The cashier had mysteriously disappeared, there had been no other customers (at least, she didn't remember seeing any) and Bruce was nowhere to be seen. If her memory served correctly, he had only been a few feet ahead of her, therefore he would have been hit by the shelf too. And getting hit by a shelf and buried by metal and cardboard by surprise might not keep a person entirely calm.

"Bruce!" Tania cried, wiggling uselessly. No response. She tried her legs, but her stomach and knees were also underneath the shelves. "Bruce!" she called again, pulling at her legs to try and drag them out from under the wood. After a few tries, she managed to scrape her calves against the edge and free her legs. A few layers of skin had been shaved off, but she wasn't bleeding. She was fine. Now for the rest of her.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye and she looked to the left and spotted the cashier peeking his head over the counter with wide eyes. "Hey!" she yelled to him. He jumped. "A little help?" He scanned his warily before slowly getting up. "Did you see who did this?"

He nodded as he made his way around the counter. "It was a woman in the aisle next to you. I think she took off once she realized what happened."

"Well isn't that nice." Tania rolled her eyes. All of a sudden, about a metre away from her, a pile of cans shifted and fell away to reveal a back, covered in the purple shirt she remembered Bruce had been wearing. "Bruce!" She was relieved that he was still human, that his clothes hadn't torn and that his skin wasn't green (not that she could see much of it). But that was when she realized he was shaking. He rolled over to face her, his entire body curled into the fetal position just small enough to avoid getting hit by any of the actual shelves and resting in between. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was hugging himself tightly, vibrating with effort.

Tania's heart began to race as the teenager's eyes widened even more and he ran back for the counter, leapt over it, and burst through the door that read: EMPLOYEES ONLY. "Coward." She mumbled under her breath. She turned back to Bruce who was starting to get a green tinge to his skin.

"Bruce! Bruce, listen to me! It's Tania!" He struggled a bit more before opening his eyes to slits to stare at her. From what she could see, his eyes were still brown – a hazel-ish kind of brown, but brown none the less. "Please calm down. I know you don't need me to tell you this, but I need you to know that I believe in you. I believe that you can control this… this urge to smash-"

"UGH!" he grunted, holding himself tighter. Wow Tania, poor choice of words. She licked her lips and thought of what to do, countless plans running through her mind so fast she didn't have time to analyze them.

Going completely on instinct, she started to sing. "Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini." She briefly recalled a conversation they had once had about languages and how Bruce had mentioned in passing that he enjoyed soft Latin music. She knew he understood all the words (she certainly didn't) and prayed they weren't offensive. Of course, she only knew the song from choir in high school her Aunt had forced her to join, so the chances of it being offensive were very low. She wasn't that great a singer, but she hoped to God that whatever she remembered and whatever she sounded like was enough to save her (and possibly everyone around her) from the Hulk. "Hosanna in excelsis." Yeah, that was about all she remembered.

She started to repeat it over and over again. Bruce didn't seem to be making any progress with his transformation, but he didn't exactly seem to be calming down either. It was at a point where she could give in and let the Hulk take over, or she could do something to really set in stone the fact that Bruce could win. But what could she do? She took her left arm and reached out, slowly and painfully, to the doctor she had befriended over the last few weeks. Her fingers stretched and ached and he just seemed so far away despite being only about a metre's distance from her. She kept singing and didn't dare stop for fear that the other guy would come out to play. She shuffled her entire body as close as she could to him, until her fingers grasped one of his hands that was wrapped around his knees.

Immediately his head snapped up to look at her, his eyes were half green half brown, with the outer circle of vibrant Hulk colour slowly retracting. She squeezed his hand and prayed with all her might as she met his gaze with what she hoped was an air of confidence that she didn't have (for the most part). She kept singing, unsure of whether she was singing soprano or alto or whatever, but she didn't really care at this point. She just needed him calm. That was all. And sure enough, about another agonisingly long minute later, he stopped shaking.

Tania held her breath. When Bruce didn't move, she took the risk of jostling him. His arms and legs slid from their contracted position and he collapsed, every limb lying limply on the floor amongst the pile of food he had probably crushed in the fall. His head lolled to the side, his black hair falling into his face that had relaxed, his eyes closed. She let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and tried to calm her pounding heart. She was safe – but still trapped.

She could A: Wait for Bruce to wake up. B: Call for help from whoever could hear her. Or C: Try and get herself out of this without help. Bruce looked too peaceful to disturb and there probably wasn't anyone who could hear her. Option C it is. She shoved at the wood with all her might countless times, but to no avail. She was stuck. Great. She didn't have her cell phone on he; she and Bruce had just left without grabbing anything (a very stupid move on their parts). She sighed and blew her bangs from her eyes in frustration.

Maybe Bruce did have a cell phone on him. She'd never know until she tried. She started reaching again, this time for his pants pocket (awkward!) instead of his hand. She stretched painfully for a while until she finally managed to dig her fingers into his pocket and touch something rectangular and hard – a cell phone! Hallelujah! She shifted and grabbed it, sliding it from its perch. Bruce didn't even stir. She tried to press the phone to her ear, but the shelf was kind of restricting that movement from happening.

She searched Bruce's contacts for Tony's number. When she found it, she dialed it and pressed speaker. The phone rang quite a few times before a resounding click and then a muffled "'lo?" came from the device.

"Tony, it's Tania."

"Mm… whaddya want?"

"Bruce and I are kind of in a… sticky situation."

He sounded more awake now, more alert. "What do you mean by 'sticky situation'?"

"Well, a grocery shelf kind of crushed us both. I managed to calm him down enough that he didn't Hulk out, but now he's exhausted from holding him back and I'm kind of stuck beneath this surprisingly heavy shelf. Everyone else inside the store bolted."

Tony sounded amused. "So you need my help now, hm?"

She sighed exasperatedly. "Yes Tony. I need your help. I don't know how heavy this shelf is, but I can't lift it on my own. At least not in this position."

"And what position would that be-? Ow! Pepper!" Tania chuckled. "I'll be there in a few. Keep yourself busy until I get there." And then he hung up.

"Well goodbye to you too!" she shouted into the fine.

"Goodbye to who?"

Tania's head whipped to the left. Bruce was rubbing his eyes and unwinding himself. A sense of relief washed over her and felt the corners of her mouth turn upwards. She had never noticed before, but Bruce kind of cute – in a totally if-I-were-twenty-years-older-than-maybe kind of way. Besides, she loved Steve, and no one could compare to him.

When Bruce opened his eyes to look at her, he sat up faster than someone groggy would normally sit. He blinked a couple times, probably trying to remember what had happened. He looked down at himself. No ripped clothes, no soreness or bruises he didn't remember getting, he was in the same place he had fallen asleep in. Had he even Hulked out at all? He looked back at Tania, who was waiting patiently beneath a pile of groceries (some of which had cracked open and spilled) and a giant shelf.

"What happened?" he asked her, extremely confused.

"A woman in the aisle next to us accidentally pushed the entire shelf onto us and knocked us both out. When I came to, you were shaking. I sang to you in Latin and you calmed down (granted it took like ten minutes but still) and then you fell asleep. I snatched your phone-" she held it up as proof, "-and called Tony. He should be here soon. I'm kind of stuck." She gave a shy smile and held his phone in the palm of her hand out to him. He gently took it and replaced it in his pocket.

"So… you calmed down the Hulk?" he asked in a tone that suggested he didn't believe her.

"Yes, yes I did." She stated with an ounce (okay, more like a pound) of accomplishment in her voice. "I sang Benedictus and you were just kind of in this state of 'about to change' for a while, but you never did."

"That… that…" he seemed at a loss for words. He shook his head and ran his hand down his face. "That's not possible."

"Anything is possible."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She tried to shrug. "I know, cheesy right? But that's seriously what happened."

At that moment, the glass from the door shattered in a high-pitched explosion of window. Bruce covered Tania from the shards as they flew by, seeing as she couldn't really protect herself. When he pulled back and they both looked up, Iron Man was hovering above the spilled cans and boxes.

"Tony! You could have killed us!" Bruce scolded in a voice that was only somewhat raised. It was as angry as she had ever seen him besides the shaking she had only just witnessed.

Tony shrugged. "Hey, a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist needs an entrance." Tania and Bruce rolled their eyes. Tony clapped his hands together. "Alright Brucey, let's get this thing off of our new pet- ahem, I mean, friend."

Tania scowled. "Okay, first of all, I'm not new. I've known you for close to a month now. Second, just 'cause I work for you, doesn't make me your pet. Third-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Piggy likes to talk. We get it." Iron Man landed on the floor and braced his hands under one of the shelves and then lifted it above his head with ease. Bruce helped Tania to her feet and the two made their way carefully out of the mess. Once they were in the clear, there was barely a second's rest before they were being literally swept off their feet by a blur of gold and hot rod red.

Tania let out an ear-piercing shriek the minute her feet left the ground. Wind lapped at her hair forcefully and she gripped Iron Man's left arm with all her might as the lights of New York City flew by underneath her. She snapped her mouth shut but couldn't get her eyes to do the same. Instead of looking down, she looked to her right at Bruce who was mumbling something under his breath and staring blankly ahead. Both of them were being carried by one of Tony's arms and neither felt very steady. Tania looked straight ahead and spotted Avengers Tower with its giant 'A' standing out in the night. She fixed her gaze on it and didn't tear her eyes away for fear that she'd scream again.

After only a minute (two at most), they had on the helicopter landing with windblown hair and bugs in their teeth. Tania ripped away from Tony and totally would have slapped him had he not still been wearing his Iron Man suit. Tony started walking in a straight line towards the doors leading inside and random arms of machine shot out of the ground to remove pieces of his suit one by one. By the time he reached the doors, he was just same old Tony, with his facial hair and arc reactor glowing in his chest. Tania wasted not a second and stomped over to him and slapped him right across the face.

"OW! What the hell, Tania?! I save your sorry ass and this is what I get?"

"You had no right to just pick us up and zoom us here like that! I was scared as hell up there and you didn't even bother asking if we'd mind. You cannot just do that to someone! And I'm sure Bruce would agree with me!" Tania was seething. She turned around to face the doctor who was inspecting his glasses that appeared to be broken in half. "Bruce!"

He looked up at her, then at Tony. He slowly walked forward so that he was just behind Tania and nodded. "She's right Tony. I could have hulked out from the shock up there and yet you didn't care. You put all of New York at risk, not to mention Tania and yourself."

"Please, my suit is made of gold titanium alloy. I would have been fine."

"Stark!" Tania barked, "Do you only care about yourself?"

"Of course not! There's my suit, and then there's Pepper. And maybe Rhodey. And Hogan, I guess. Nah, not Hogan."

"Stark!"

"What?"

Tania through her hands in the air and turned towards the balcony, staring at the starless night sky. "You are impossible!"

He shrugged, though she couldn't see. "That's what they all say."

"Tony." Bruce's voice was stiff, tense. "Apologize. It's late. We're all tired. And we're grateful for you saving us. Just don't fly us again without our permission."

"Me? Apologize? You'd have to-"

Tania whirled around and marched right up to her, jabbing her index finger into his chest to enunciate each syllable. "You. Are. Impossible."

"You said that already."

"I don't give a-"

"Alright!" Bruce interrupted, trying to act as mediator but not really working. He stepped closer to the two and pushed their shoulders apart. "Break it up. Gosh, it's like you're fighting with Steve."

"Just another reason why they're perfect together." Tony said cheekily. Tania turned bright red and debated slapping him again, except he had ducked already. "I regret nothing!" he bolted for the Party Deck just behind the glass doors (does no one have solid opaque doors anymore?). Tania groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Seconds passed and the wind blew yet again, catching her already messed up hair in its clutches. Bruce hesitantly walked over to her and placed a hand on her arm. She looked up at him, a bit surprised. He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile and gestured for her to step inside first.

She returned it shyly and did so without a look back.

This was the start of a - long overdue but - beautiful friendship.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N. Hiya! Sorry this one took so long. I've been SUPER busy this week (still am), but I managed to squeeze this one into my schedule for you. I'm still going to be busy the following week but I'll do my best. Things should quiet down around Tuesday but I won't give you guys any specific dates. So this one is just fluff, but I'm going to tell you right now that this is filler and that the next chapter, something exciting will happen :D You'll just have to wait and see! I'll try and write it ASAP just for you guys. Hope you enjoy! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Tania was just barely conscious, she could sort of feel the familiarity of her sheets beneath her as she shifted, trying to find a comfortable enough spot to lie for a few hours, yet all the sensations like touch and smell and hear were all so far away, so detached, yet she could still feel them, was still conscious of them happening. She heard the rustling of her covers being moved, she felt the warmth on her hand that wasn't anywhere else, she felt the cold on her forehead that was slowly getting colder… and colder… and colder… and-

"Holy shit that's cold!" she sat bolt upright and ended up bonking her head against something really hard. "Ow!" She wasn't the only one who said that. She looked up, one hand over the bump on her head, and spotted none other than Steve Rogers in a similar position by her bedside. "Steve?!" she cried, instinctively bringing her blanket higher on herself despite being fully clothed. "What the hell?!"

"Tania! Calm down!" Steve told her in a gentle voice, trying to soothe her.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Let me explain."

"Then explain!"

"I came to see if you were okay." Huh… not a reason I was expecting. "Tony told me about what happened last night. JARVIS let me in so that I could see if you were okay." He held up the ice pack she had knocked off when she sat up and placed against her head again. Despite the cold, Tania felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she replaced his hand to hold it there.

"H-how long have you been here?"

"Not long. Ten minutes at most."

"And what have you been doing?"

He started to turn pink at what she was implying. "Uh, just… um…" his eyes flitted about the room, searching desperately for something to land on.

"Were you… watching me sleep?"

At being caught red-handed, Steve turned the exact same colour. Tania almost matched him, except she was a bit darker than him. They both looked down and away. There was an awkward silence that felt like it would never pass. That's when she spotted her alarm clock. "It's nine?!" she tried to throw off her covers but Steve beat her to it and rested both his arms on either side of her body to practically pin her down via her sheet.

"No. Well, yes it is nine, but you don't have work today. I had Tony give you the day off and Bruce and Pepper agreed with me. No work for you today. Consider it a sick day."

"But I'm not sick."

"This ice pack begs to differ."

And that was when they realized what position they were in. Tania was lying completely flat on her back, her head propped up by a fairly thick pillow with on hand holding the ice pack to her skull, while Steve was lying on top of her with one arm on each side of his head, his face just inches from hers. Heat sparked through both of them in a sudden tidal wave that broke free from a dam. Her eyelids fluttered, slowly closing. He leaned in closer, his lips parting. She could smell his breath: minty. She could feel his clothes (sort of): jeans and a T-shirt. She probably had morning breath and bed head. Yet he came closer still…

"Ms. Banks?"

Both Tania and Steve physically jumped, and that jump alone would have been the final and tiny push that caused their lips to crash together had he not jumped the opposite direction. Tania sighed and closed her eyes. "Cock block." She mumbled under her breath. "What, Jarvis?"

"I should warn you that Mr. Stark has ordered that the door to your room be locked until he says otherwise and cannot be undone any other way."

"What?!" Tania and Steve chorused together, kiss momentarily forgotten. Tania turned to Steve.

"He knows you're here right?"

"Yeah… he does." He clenched his hands into fists. "Bastard." He whispered.

Tania felt a sudden pang of pain slash through her heart. "Is being stuck with me that bad an option?" she tried to joke, even going so far as to give him a half-smile. None the less, he took it seriously (as he should, because she was mostly serious anyway).

He whipped his head up and rushed to her bedside, kneeling beside her and shaking his head and hands frantically. "No! No, no, no, no. I love being with you and doing things with you, but it's just that what if something were to happen? Like a fire? Or a S.H.I.E.L.D mission and he forgets to unlock the door? We're trapped in here like sitting ducks.

"And plus, this is just another one of his ways to annoy me," he rolled his eyes, "he's just teasing us about our supposed relationship in his mind. Another one of his stupid ploys."

That didn't make the pain go away. If anything, it made it worse. She plopped back onto her bed and groaned. She took the ice pack and held it to her head once again. "Yeah, dumb ploys."

"Hey," he touched her hand and she swore she saw an explosion of colours and light behind her eyelids (also known as fireworks), "you okay?"

She sighed. "Just peachy."

"Well if it's any consolation, if I were to be stuck with anyone in this Tower for a prolonged and unknown period of time, I'd pick you in a heartbeat."

Bye-bye pain. Hello heart attack. "Really?" she squeaked. So. Many. Signs!

"Yes, really. I am closer to you than I am towards any of the other Avengers. I mean yeah, I've gotten closer to the others since you showed up, what with the group outings and all, but it's always been you. You brought me out of my shell, you allowed me to move on, you made me smile again, and you are someone I have grown extremely close to." He gave her a shy smile.

Tania felt like she was going to burst from flattery, happiness, pride, and love. She had a hand over her heart and was almost teary eyed, but she held them back. A smile the size of Manhattan spread across her face. "Steve… I can't take all the credit, you did most of that yourself."

"But you were the instigator." He stood up and sat on the edge of her bed instead of kneeling. "You were the key. Without you, I'd still be moping around the Tower and never going outside."

"Well if it weren't for you, I'd still be working at Potter Inc. with a horrible boss, disrespectful coworkers, a God-awful cubicle; I'd be living by myself in a dreary apartment with no friends and mulling over my childhood. And now I'm somewhat successful business woman, I have six- soon to be seven- good friends that I… that I couldn't imagine living without. I'm happy here. And it's because I ran into you that day in June."

"Actually, I ran into you." He pointed out, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry about that by the way."

"I'm pretty sure you said that a month ago." She said teasingly.

"Yeah, well. I'm saying it again."

"Why were you running that day, anyway? You were in such a rush to get somewhere and then as soon as you hit me, we're taking a leisurely stroll to a coffee shop. What were doing before you ran into me?"

"Hm," he appeared to be thinking back, "I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to get out of the city as fast as I could. That was, what, my second time leaving the Tower?"

"I think so. And I guess that would kind of make sense. But wouldn't a Captain America running at top speed alarm some people?"

"Most people won't recognize me without the mask."

"I did."

"I was two inches from your face."

"Oh. Yeah." She looked away, suddenly too pink to say anymore.

What had that almost kiss meant? That had been their second time almost kissing. This had to be THE biggest sign of his love for her she had ever seen. Plus, he was here to take care of her despite only having scraped her calves (which still kinda stung), some bruising on her collarbone and stomach, and lump on the back of her head. Oh, and an almost-run-in with the Hulk and glass scratches from Iron Man's "grand entrance".

… Okay, so maybe she was a bit beat up. But her black eye was gone and she was more than capable of taking care of herself, yet he still insisted. In all honesty, she didn't mind as much as when she did the day she and Pepper went to the mall. It was kind of… what was the word… flattering? It proved he cared. That they all did. And that was just something she hadn't been used to at the time. Well, okay, she'd had people who cared about her before, but not much. There was Graham, and then there was her Aunt.

And speaking of Graham… "Oh my Gosh! I have to call my brother." Tania reached over the nightstand for her cell phone and quickly dialed his number. She pressed it to her ear and waited as it rang. Steve was looking at her with a confused expression but she just held up her index finger in a signal to tell him to wait. There was click on the other end.

"Yello?"

"Orange."

"What? Oh, ha. I get it. Nice to hear from you Tania. How goes it?"

"I don't suppose you were watching the news last night were you?"

"Yeah, actually, I was. Ever since your little shopping escapade I've been keeping up to date with that sort of thing. Do you remember that little grocery store that we used to go to when I first moved here? Someone blew their window to bits and then threw one of their grocery shelves to the side. The guy working there at the time refused to talk and had quit. Crazy right? Think it's another super villain?"

"No. I know who did it, it was Iron Man."

There was shuffling and then a thud, probably Graham falling off a chair from shock. "What? Why?"

"To save me. Someone knocked a grocery shelf over by accident and hit Bruce and I. We were kind of stuck, so Tony literally swept in, blew up the window, lifted the shelf off of us, and flew us away. It's that simple."

He sighed. "God, Tania, how much trouble can one girl get into?"

"I'll have you know I am a full-grown woman who can take care of herself." She glanced at Steve who had vacated her bed and was now staring at pictures she had around the room. "But I have the Avengers for when I can't. But anyway, that's not why I called you."

"What did you do this time?"

"Nothing!"

"Mmhm."

"You suck. Anyway, Thor's here."

Silence. "What?"

"Thor's here. At the Tower. He came by last night and I'm not sure if he's still here. He said something about visiting a girl named Jane-"

"Dr. Foster?"

"Yeah-"

"Oh my God! OH MY GOD!"

"Stop fangirling! And don't come over just yet. He might have left and I've barely spoken two words to him-"

"Too late." There was the distinct sound of a car door slamming. "I'm on my way over. See ya in a bit!"

"No! Graham wait!" Silence. "Ugh!" she tossed the phone onto her bed and threw off the covers. Steve immediately noticed something was off and walked over to her.

"What's wrong?"

"Graham's coming over unexpectedly to ambush Thor with action figures and whatever and I haven't even asked the guy permission to speak let alone to let my brother bombard him with childish behaviour. We have to get out of here."

"But how?"

"I'll call Tony."

"You should probably call Pepper first."

"Oh, good idea." She dialed the red head's number.

"Pepper Potts of Stark International, how may I help you?"

"Pepper! It's Tania. Steve and I need your help."

"I'm sorry Tania but Tony is doing a good thing locking you guys in there."

"Wait, you were in on it?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, and I can't wait for you to come out and tell me that you and Steve are finally together."

"Pepper, we're not-" she looked over at him. He was watching her intently. She sucked in a breath. "-Look, my brother is coming over any minute without my consent to ambush Thor and I need to get down there to stop him."

"Oh don't worry, I'll warn Thor."

"But Pepper-!"

"Have a nice day!" she hung up.

"Gosh, Tony's wearing off on her." She threw her phone on the bed and sat down next to it, collapsing on her back into the softness with her arms spread about her. "Looks like we're stuck here."

"Pepper won't let us out?"

"Nope." She told him, popping the "P".

"So… what now?"

There were a few seconds of silence before Steve had a face full of pillow. He spluttered and removed it from his face to see Tania giggling. She grabbed another pillow and whacked him with it. He then smirked and started to whack her as well, ever careful of super serum strength. They had a very large pillow fight that resulted in feathers raining down on them like confetti.

After that, she decided to show him more about technology. She showed him how to download games on his phone, had an Angry Birds contest on their respective phones seeing as the door to the hallway was locked and they couldn't get to her office, she showed him little things about the internet like Google and email, she even spent an hour going over acronyms and emoticons for texting each other. It took a long time for Steve to understand the more complicated things like the internet and stuff, but eventually he began to understand the gist of it. He might never really get it, but that was okay, because he would always maintain that nineteen forties charm that Tania fell in love with.  
She didn't spend that long a time thinking about it. She wanted to make the decision when he wasn't around and then work her way up to telling him about it – that is, if she were to tell him at all.

They spent the day together, laughing, and smiling, and all together falling more in love with one another. They had genuine fun and didn't worry about leaving, or the other Avengers, or the paparazzi, or food (which they really should be worried about). All in all, it was a perfect day.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N. Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long, but I've been really busy :S So anyway, here's a pretty long chapter to make up for it. Despite its length, I hope you guys don't think it's rushed. And before you make any judgements on what happens here, please know that I had planned this all along and that this is my plot and I like this idea. I will do my best to differentiate it from others as well though, okay? With all that said and done, please enjoy chapter 23! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Deep inside Stark Tower, on the twenty-something-eth floor, something blinked a glowing red. This thing was so small, it could be no bigger than a fly. A not so metaphorical "fly on the wall". After days of laying still and waiting with little to no results, the little bug lying in the messy pile of junk in one Tania's purses began to move. At first, it vibrated, causing its red light to permanently stop blinking and remain red, like an all-seeing eye. Then it stopped moving. In a sudden snap! The little bug whirred and something burst from its right side. It was a long, mechanical leg. Another one popped out, on the same side, about the length of an inch, maybe a bit bigger. Four more legs popped out so that it looked like a tiny robot arachnid with only six legs, three on each side.  
It looked left, then it looked right, scanning its surroundings with that annoying red light. Once it recognized that there was nothing useful where it was, it began to press forward, to search for information it could take back to its master after so many days of lying dormant.

Tania and Steve's day was spent with laughter and light conversations, never delving too far into the serious for fear of offending the other or probing when they shouldn't be. They had eventually ordered JARVIS to tell someone to bring them some food. That had been interesting. Clint had ended up cooking them a steak dinner – but that wasn't the weird part. He'd dropped it off from the air vent. Yeah, he'd crawled through the air vent, told Steve to "Catch!" and then dropped it. Luckily, with his lightning fast reflexes, he did so. When he and Tania both looked up though, Clint had mysteriously disappeared.

Tony had oh so conveniently "forgotten" to let them out of her room that night, and had also oh so conveniently "distracted" Pepper from doing so as well. Steve was forced to sleep over. After many a minute blushing like they were competing with each other, they resolved that they were mature enough to sleep in the same bed without feeling uncomfortable; they were both totally wrong. It wasn't that they weren't mature, it was just that they were both uncomfortable. Maybe uncomfortable wasn't the right word, but neither of them went to sleep right away. They both faced away from each other, with Steve stripped down to his boxers and a white T-shirt and Tania in a pair of silk PJ pants and a camisole top. She wore a bra underneath because without it… let's just say that their relationship wasn't at that level yet.

They lay down on their sides, facing away from each other, back to back. When they eventually did get to sleep, it was late in the morning. Steve was gone when she awoke. She had checked the bathroom, the bedroom, the living room, and had concluded that the doors had been unlocked and he'd left for his early morning run.

Life carried on as usual. The Avengers gathered for dinner the next night, Clint and Natasha having returned from their mission that afternoon. With Thor there, all the chairs at the table were filled and the night was a mix of boisterous laughter, booming announcements, chewing loudly, and mediating between two men in particular. Tony and Steve had gotten into another fight, this one wasn't quite as intense as the last, but it was getting there. Tania dispelled it immediately by grabbing Steve's hand and abruptly leaving.

She lead him to the gym where she let him work out his frustrations on the punching bag and she worked on the self-defense she had been learning from Natasha. By the time Steve had calmed down, he had knocked over three different punching bags. He looked over and spotted Tania struggling to hold her own against the robot dummy. He walked over to her and started helping her with her form, placing his arms around her and gently wrapping his fingers around hers to form a proper fist. To say she was red was an understatement.

She was still contemplating when to tell him. After Steve had left that morning, she had started thinking about it – about him. She had made the decision to tell him. She had no idea when, or how, she only knew that she was going to do. It was a risk she had to take, else she might live forever in the shadow of the fabulous Peggy Carter. She needed to make sure he was over her first, though the sketch he'd finished of her had implied that he had moved on enough to think about her without breaking down. That was a good sign.

Still, she had to ask. In the gym, with her inside his warm embrace, she asked him about his unofficial ex-girlfriend. He'd tensed at her name, but relaxed just as quickly without prompting. He smiled slightly and told her that he hardly ever thought of her anymore. But when he did, he remembered the good times. He admitted to missing her, but he confessed that it was only her presence he missed, not her kisses or her love.  
Ecstatic, Tania bit her lip. The timing was perfect, they were together, they were happy, he wasn't pining over another girl, they were alone… until JARVIS the "cock block" A.I. interrupted them yet again to tell them that Thor wanted to speak to all of them in the lounge immediately. Inwardly groaning, the two headed to the elevator.

When they reached the right floor and joined the others on the circle couch, Thor stood up, towering over the sitting figures, and spoke in a booming voice that Loki was suffering the consequences of his crimes in a just way, though he refused to tell what the punishment was. He only said that Loki would not be bothering them for a long time, if ever.

With that off their minds, the Avengers (plus Tania and Pepper) dispersed. Tania and Steve stayed behind to properly introduce the brunette to the Thunder God. She went to she shake his hand, but was surprised to say the least when he kissed her knuckles in a bow. Blushing, she took back her hand and his both of them behind her back in what she hoped was a nonchalant gesture.

Despite the awkward start, Tania and Thor got along just fine. His booming voice and lack of understanding for most human idioms annoyed her, but she figured she'd get over it. They had small talk with Steve joining in to break the ice occasionally. Tania learned that Thor had a girlfriend in New Mexico named Jane Foster who was an astrophysicist currently working under S.H.I.E.L.D. in some way, shape, or form.

Throughout the conversation, Thor's eyes flickered between Steve and Tania, as if assessing them and observing something they could not see. She was pretty sure he was suspicious of their (as of yet nonexistent) relationship, but he was polite enough not to question it, to which Tania was grateful.

Days passed by at a normal rate; Tania's coworkers had forgotten all about the party she'd attended and Peter's bartending skills for Tony. She and Drew began to grow apart, speaking to each other less and less. Mindy was as distant from her as ever, though she and John were apparently sleeping together. How had she missed that? Peter and her had grown a bit closer since the party, being able to relate with annoying brothers and both knowing the Avengers personally (though he didn't know them nearly as well as Tania did). Now a days, it mostly Drew, Peter, and Tania that worked on the same projects together, leaving the others to their own devices.

Tania had managed to snag one of the top authors in the country to write Tony's biography and had already picked out the cover for it – she'd drawn it herself with a little input from Steve. In the days before the weekend, they calculated the profit, sales, revenue, liabilities, cash income/outcome, and several other mathematical and financial equations in regards to the book. Tony could afford it, sure. But how much would he get back? Would he break even? So many questions, all of which Tania was hired to answer.

And finally, it was Saturday. Tania had yet to walk outside the Tower since shopping for groceries with Bruce, and they hadn't even bought anything. They ended up having takeout for breakfast lunch and dinner for the past several days until Pepper and Natasha decided to take it upon themselves to go get it. Tania would have tagged along, but she had other plans. She had a meeting with a married couple from Canada who had seen the ad for her apartment and were interested in purchasing it.

After lunch that day, Tania was off to go meet these new people in her old apartment. Steve had offered her a ride on his bike, but she declined, stating that she hadn't taken a taxi in a while and wanted to do it for old times' sake. He had wanted to accompany her, but she had denied him all the times he'd asked. She wanted to prove herself. She wanted to prove that she could take care of herself without the care of a super hero on standby.

And so she went, unused to the wind slapping at her face and hair, which was down past her shoulders today; an uncommon occurrence. She had decided to dress casual, adorning white skinny jeans and a blue blouse paired with blue flats and topped with little white bows on them. Her heels didn't click on the ground as she walked, so she could hear her surroundings more clearly. It was something Natasha had taught her.

She listened for footsteps that weren't hers following her too close, for those who matched her rhythm to the point that it was creepy and suspicious. She listened for swishing of fabric as it rubbed against the gun in their pocket, waiting to be used. She heard none of it, and hailed a taxi.

It felt odd to be outside again. It had only been five days, yet it felt like it had been forever. She remembered going into a taxi again after the alien attack – it had been brutal. She'd clung to the handles of the door, ready to throw it open and jump should the vehicle roll over in some sort of accident, killing the driver before her very eyes. But it never happened. She'd stepped out unharmed and had gotten over her fear for the most part. The next time was easier. And the next. The fear was always there, but she hardly noticed it anymore. Now though, she was extremely aware of her surroundings.

She told the driver her old address and sat back, scanning the room for anything she could use as a weapon. She now carried pepper spray on her, a gift from Pepper herself. It was in her purse at all times in one of the outside pockets so that it was easily accessible. Her eyes were locked on the window, occasionally switching just for a change of view. They were headed in the right direction. She was safe.

For days, the little bug crawled around the Tower, manipulating its mechanical legs to propel itself out of her purse and into her closet. It was lost. It didn't know where to go. Stumped, the bug began to make its way around aimlessly. On Saturday, it was finally set free when the brunette opened the door and it leaped out faster than a homeless man would for food. Once out, the bug turned and tried to scan the woman, but the door had been closed again. Deciding it wasn't worth the wait, the bug turned and crept down the hallway. It was substantially bigger than before it had legs, its body having doubled in size. When it reached the elevator, it crawled up the wall with barely a sound and pried open the doors just enough to sneak inside.

Once in, the robot arachnid climbed out the roof of the elevator by a little vent and crawled over to the side. It hesitated, as if building up the strength and bravery to jump, and then took a leap of faith over the edge.

The bug tumbled over and over again, until it hit the bottom, barely a scratch on its body. It rolled over, its red eye scanning its surroundings. It eyed the large cord in the center of the almost pitch black tiny room and hopped on it. It began its slow climb to a higher floor. It obviously wanted to stay in the Tower.

After the meeting with the husband and wife, Tania had shook their hands and had them sign the contract to buy the apartment from her. She sold it. She sold her old home to new people, who would treat it with respect and maybe raise a family there one day. She smiled to herself in the cab back to the Tower. She was moving on with her life, she was heading towards bigger and better things. One of those things being Steve.

Steve was amazing. He was just… pure perfection. She could not imagine a life without him. She had to tell him, she knew that, and yet… she was stalling. She was freaking scared as… as… as hell! What if this ruined their friendship? What if they broke up? Would she be able to recover? Tania never prided herself on getting hung up over boys, yet she knew that if she lost Steve, she wouldn't be able to go on. Maybe she'd stop being depressed and maybe the other Avengers could help her be happy again, but she' never find anyone to replace him, because Steve was one of a kind and you just can't replace that kind of thing.

Back straight, shoulders back, chin high, she told herself that she would confess to him… tomorrow. Now how was she going to play this…?

When the bug reached the kitchen floor, it pried open the doors with abnormal strength for such a tiny thing and began to wander around, exploring. It was looking for something. But what? It moved around, creeping and crawling over everything it could find, searching for something unknown. But then the elevator doors opened once again and Thor barged into the room with a goofy grin on his face.

Seemingly panicked, the bug dove underneath the cupboard below the sink and turned off its light, retracting its legs to fold itself into the tiny ball it used to be. It was the size of a dust bunny. No one would ever notice it was there.

The next morning, Tania awoke to the thought of, "Oh my God, I'm going to tell Steve I love him." It was both a nice and terrifying thought. The day before, she had decided to invite Steve back to the coffee shop they used to frequent but hadn't been to in weeks. She was going to tell him there. But she hadn't seen him after she'd returned from selling her apartment. He had been busy tutoring Pepper's cousin's son in world war two.  
So that morning, Tania threw off her covers with determination. Today's the day. Worst comes to worst, he'll say he's not interest, we take a little break, and then we go back to being friends. I will NOT lose him to something as petty as heartbreak. He is the best thing that ever happened to me and losing him isn't an option. That said, Tania dressed to impress in a jean skirt and orange top with matching sneakers and jewelry.

Steve wasn't there at breakfast and neither were Tony or Clint. Natasha stated that they were sent on a small and local mission by S.H.I.E.L.D (Tania had been informed about SHIELD some time ago) and should be back by dinner. Despite Bruce's reassurances that they were in no danger, Tania couldn't help but worry. She was kind of like Steve that way, the worry wart. He could take care of himself, just as she could herself.

But that nagging fear just wouldn't leave her alone, and she soon understood why Steve and the others had acted the way they did when she was mugged. It wasn't any of their faults, none of them could help it. Worry was just something they all felt, you couldn't stop it. And now she felt sick thinking about what she'd said and done to her friends. She'd apologized again but they always cut her off with a wave of their hands and changed topics, having obviously already forgiven her for that.

And so she sat around the Tower and waited. She explored the different rooms, planned what she was going to say over and over again, paced each floor at least twenty times, and ate only a granola bar – and that was only because Natasha had practically force fed it to her. At around two, Tania found herself in the kitchen, pacing frantically. She walked back and forth behind the island with one hand on her forehead and the other wrapped around her stomach. She was mumbling somewhat coherently under her breath.

"You can do this. It's just Steve. Oh but he's so much more than just Steve. He's also Captain America, and Avenger, the man out of time, the world's one and only super soldier, and he's my best friend. What if I mess it up? Oh hell, it's me. Of course I'm going to mess it up. No! I can't afford to think like that. I have to be confidant, I have to- AH!" somehow, the trajectory of her pacing had changed and the corner of the island counter made contact with her hip, knocking her off balance and sending her straight to the floor so that her face was just across from the sink. She groaned. "That's gonna bruise."

She was about to sit up, when something bright red caught her eye. It was no bigger than her thumb nail, and it appeared to be an eye, staring unblinkingly at her. It only took a second for its legs to spring out from its body and lunge. Its legs wrapped around her face and she screamed, clawing at it. She eventually ripped it off and threw it across the room. The little robot slammed into the window-for-wall and then slid down, landing on its legs. The machine whirred before scanning her with its eye.

Not wasting a second, Tania grabbed a bar stool from the other side of the island and ran for it. She brought the stool down and smashed it to pieces – the stool, not the bug. The arachnid managed to roll out of the way in the nick of time and attack her again. Tania felt a small second of regret for breaking Tony's chair, but she figured he could afford to buy a new one.

She debated screaming again, seeing as the last time she had screamed in the kitchen, everyone had appeared momentarily to come to her aid; yet the elevator doors remained closed and she had already screeched once. She made to rip the thing off her shirt on which it had clamped itself when she stepped backward and tripped over the pieces of stool that lay in scattered on the floor. She fell the ground yet again with a grunt and grabbed a leg that looked particularly sharp. She began stabbing it. She managed to pry it off, heart racing as she struggled to her feet.

"Stay away from me!" She had never seen anything like it before. It was high tech and tiny. It also appeared to be evil. Maybe it was a training exercise, courtesy of Natasha? Maybe it was something Tony and Bruce had created that had been set loose. She didn't get much time to think about it, seeing as the bug shot something at her wrist, encasing it in a glowing blue and white string of some sort. It moved of its own accord and tore the stake from her hand forcefully.

Now she was mad. She glared at it, challenging it to come at her. It remained in place, observing her stance. Her knees were bent, one in front of the other at a forty-five degree angle and her torso was facing straight forward with her hands balled into fists in front of her face. It was a defensive fighting position she had learned from Natasha.

She jumped, trying to stomp on it and regretted not wearing heels (for once). The spider sidestepped it and began to crawl up her leg. She hopped around in circles and swatted at it, trying to get it off, but to no avail. Eventually the bug reached her face again and wrapped its legs around the back of her head. Tania's final scream was silent, trapped in her mouth by the metal blocking its passage to the outside world.

She tried to dig her nails into its core to pry it off, but it was stubborn as a mule and refused to come off. She wobbled around aimlessly, clawing and scratching at the robot on her face. It began to whir really loudly and then her vision was filled with red, even with her eyelids closed. She was yanked forward by her face so hard that when she crashed into what she presumed was the giant window that went from floor to ceiling, the glass shattered from her weight and she continued falling. The shards sliced her skin and clothes as she fell, arms and legs flailing for something to hold on to, something to prevent her drop to her death.

There was that moment, where her feet were still on the floor and her body was past the angle where she could get back up on her own, where her stomach dropped and her mind spun. The only thing she could hear was her pounding heart before her feet slipped and the roar of the wind was enough to seemingly break her eardrums while ripping off the annoying bug. She almost wished it was still on as she stared at the building's windows and walls rapidly passing by her as she flipped over and over, completely numb. She tried to shriek but it was caught in her throat, a lump that would explode when she made contact with the ground. She tried to still herself, tried to stop flipping. She ended up right side up and staring down at the ground that rushed toward her with ever growing speed.

She had fallen from a very high floor, so the fall was unfortunately a couple seconds longer. But just a hundred meters from the ground, the bug appeared beside her head and shot a red beam of light below, creating a swirling vortex of what looked like blood that spread out in an oval about a hundred meters long and fifty meters wide. She had a second to admire it, before she fell in and time seemed to stop.

Everything she saw was red, not that she saw much. She was still falling, just incredibly slowly, as if she were sinking through a giant mound of red jello. She held her breath, just in case. She tried to move her arms to swim towards the surface, towards air, towards the Tower. She couldn't get her limbs into the right position fast enough. And then suddenly her ankles were free of jello and could move freely and at normal speed. She wiggled her feet back and forth in an attempt to speed up the process of falling. Her knees were next, bare legs exposed to the cool air below the jello portal. Her hips fell through, then her arms, then her shoulders, and finally her head. And then the dropping continued.

THUD! She groaned. She was pretty sure the ground had been farther than that. She rolled over, too lazy to open her eyes, and braced her hand in front of her face. The ground was cold and lumpy, like concrete – this couldn't be the sidewalk though, it wasn't the right temperature for the middle of summer. The ground should be burning her skin… but it wasn't.

Befuddled, Tania forced her eyes open. Another thing that didn't make sense: the lack of pain. Sure, she was going to get a nasty bruise on her back and maybe another lump on her head, but that was it. She should be dead. She had fallen over twenty stories high and yet she was completely fine. Of course, the jello had slowed her down quite a bit.

What the hell was that anyway? Who makes a batch of jello that big? That just didn't make sense. When her brown eyes finally focused, there was no sun, no sky, no clouds, no Tower. All she saw was a dark, dank, black ceiling. What in the world? She sat up, head throbbing painfully. It was like her brain was having a dance party during an earthquake. She pressed a palm to her forehead just above her temple and breathed deeply.

She looked around. She was in a round room with walls, floors, and ceiling made of concrete. Behind her, the wall stopped to make room for a criss-cross pattern of thick metal bars that made diamonds no bigger than an apple. The wall started again after the bars ended about three meters wide. The room's diameter, she estimated, was about twenty meters long. The chamber was completely empty, except for her, of course.

She crawled over to the bars as blood trickled from behind her ear. She gently touched her index and middle fingers to the wound – she winced. It was a sensitive spot, but not a fatal one. The red liquid trailed down her cheek and the back of her neck. She wiped at it with the back of her hand and grabbed the diamond bars that were cold to the touch. Beyond the cage was a hallway that was completely grey with fancy chandeliers hanging from the ceiling every several feet or so. A lush red carpet covered the narrow floors of the corridor and gold framed paintings hung on the boring wall of landscapes Tania had never seen before in her life.

Was she dreaming? She had to be dreaming. But dreams had never been so vivid; not for her at least. She was aware of all the hairs on her body standing on end, of the thick blood dripping down her face, of the temperature drop from sunny hot to musty cold, of her hair totally out of place from the wind whipping at it from her fall, of her fluttering heart that had yet to calm down from her perilous descent. It was all too real, too detailed. She pulled down her skirt, a meaningless gesture, seeing as no one around, but she felt the need to do something. Her shoes had flown off and were long gone, as was the portal she had tumbled through.

She pulled the elastic out of her hair exasperatedly. She supposed this wasn't all that crazy. Heck, two months ago there had been an alien invasion and the world had been saved by a super soldier frozen in the Earth for seventy years, a genius billionaire with metal for a heart, a green giant with anger management problems, an (not so much anymore) arrogant God from another realm (also the brother of the attacker), and two humans trained to kill other humans. Being teleported to a cell by jello shouldn't have been that much of a stretch.

Footsteps echoed down the hall and into the cage. Tania jumped to her feet and pressed her face to the bars. She couldn't see the end of the hallway on either side, but she knew the person was coming from her right.

And then there was a man dressed all in white with over gelled black hair slicked back standing in front of her, one hand behind his back, the other tucked inside the lapel of his blazer like Napoleon. His eyes were a dull green that might as well have been slits and his nose was long and pointy. His face held crinkled at his eyes and corners of his mouth. He wore a smirk that could send chills down a SHIELD agent's spine. But as soon as he saw her, it fell off his face.

"This is NOT what I asked for!" he swung his hand and whacked the oil painting behind him. It smashed and clattered to the ground, causing Tania to let go of the bars with haste, eyes wide. The man whirled on something not in view of the cell. "I told you to get me the one with dark hair!"

Something whirred out of her vision.

The man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I know she had dark hair, but notice how she's a girl." He growled, his throat vibrating clearly from where she stood. "What am I supposed to do with… with… this thing?"

"Hey!" she shouted and stomped her foot. "I am not a thing! I am a person who can hear every word you're saying."

He scowled at her. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. Just get it right this time." He ordered. The mechanical arachnid from before, scurried across the floor and towards the end of the hallway the man had come from.

So the spider was working for this man, who presumably built him, to capture someone with dark hair. It was probably one of the Avengers, which meant that they were in danger. Her eyes widened and she immediately reached for her cell phone, before realizing it was in her purse and cursing under her breath when she saw that she didn't have it.

"You are a pretty little thing aren't you?" he spoke, directly to her this time. She gulped but dug her heels into the ground as best she could, standing up straight.

"Let me go. You said so yourself, I'm useless."

"Why? Killing you would be so much faster."

The blood drained from Tania's face. "I-I-"

He laughed maniacally and clapped his hands once. "Oh, your fear is coming off you in waves so strong I can smell it. It smells like…" he waved his hands toward his face as nonchalantly as if he were getting a waft of perfume, "poison. Good idea. It's quick, easy, and can be painless."

She gulped. "_Can_ be?"

He nodded. "Yes, _can_ be. I shall pick one at random and we'll see what happens, yes?"

"NO! NONONONONONONONONO!"

He laughed again, his eyes bright. "Oh how you amuse me. You were of some use – for a while."

She furrowed her eyebrows as the nervous sweat mixed with her blood. She needed to stall him. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"My faithful little spider was hiding in your purse for the past… oh, week or so."

"My… purse?"

"Yes. I do believe you got a nasty black eye at our last encounter."

Tania's eyes widened and she took a step back. "You? You were the mugger!" she pointed a shaking and accusing finger at him. He grinned crookedly.

"Why yes, yes I was. I used that little scenario to plant my creation into your purse. You were never meant to lose." there was a pause, "I'm a good actor, am I not?" he braced his forearm against the metal bars and leaned in, almost kissing it.

She narrowed her eyes, blood boiling. "It was YOU! YOUR fault that I exploded in front of my friends! It was YOU who created all that tension and punched me in the face and made Pepper cry! It was YOU! You bastard!" she launched herself towards him but he recoiled just in time to miss her sharp nails scratching his skin.

"Yeesh. Feisty little thing, aren't you?" she clenched her teeth and fists, "You seem to be rather… close to the Avengers, are you not?"

She didn't know how to respond to that. Of course she was close with them, but did he need to know that? He might try and use her against them, and she couldn't have that. "No." she spat. "I work for Mr. Stark. That's all."

"And yet you called them your friends, you referenced Ms. Potts by her first name, you seem… protective. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a first name basis usually means friendship, yes?"

She ground her teeth together. "We're business partners."

"She's your boss. That little bug in your purse? It's a hearing device. Granted I didn't hear much, but I did hear you talking to Stark about Ms. Potts and your precious _Captain._"

Her heart sped up so fast she could barely count the beats and her throat closed up._ No. He can't go after Steve. He CAN'T!_ "You stay away from them!" She snarled, muscles tensed for a fight, but she was stuck behind those strong metal bars that wouldn't budge even if the Hulk were there – well okay, maybe the Hulk could bend them.

"See what I mean? Protective. Hmm…" he stroked his smooth chin in thought, "Maybe you could be of some use to me after all."

Tania suddenly went very, very cold. It was like her blood had turned to ice. She was frozen, rigid, and immovable. He was going after Steve and the others and she was powerless to stop him. She had to do something! But she couldn't move. Fear gripped her very soul and kept her rooted to the spot and away from this crazy man who wanted them for some reason. Not ever her mouth would obey her brain's commands. It was useless. She was useless.

He looked her up and down and then nodded to himself, dropping his hand to rest behind his back. "Yes. I have a new plan. And it's all thanks to you."

With that, he exited dramatically down the hallway the way he came, as if to rub it in her face that she was useless by walking so slowly that a sloth could catch him. Tania cried out and moved, pressing herself against the bars with tears in her eyes.

"WAIT! The Avengers won't care! They'll stop you! Good will always triumph over evil! You WILL pay for this!" she tried to shake the bars to make them rattle like they did in movies, but she couldn't even wrap her fingers around the cylinders completely they were so big. "I HATE YOU!" she screamed to the now empty corridor and cell.

She sunk to her knees and let the tears fall. No one could see her, why not? The tears streaked down her face, colliding with the blood in a painful mixture of salt and red liquid. She cried out painfully and distressed. It was all her fault. All her fault. Her fault. Hers.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N. Hey guys! This one's a doozy. And most of it's in italics, you'll see why. Sorry if that bothers some of you. I'm planning on having the next few chapters to have a similar format to this one. Anyway, hope you enjoy! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

_Bonk… bonk… bonk…_ She groaned as her head hit the wall behind her yet again. It was so frustrating, not knowing what time it was. Why did people ever stop wearing watches? Right, because people had cell phones that told time for them. People really should start wearing watches again. Especially Tania.

She had no idea what time it was, there was no clock, there was no window, there was no JARVIS to tell her information on anything, and worst of all, there was no one else to share in her troubles. But that might also be the best thing of all. She was alone, no one had to share in her pain; sure, the strange man had never touched her and she'd been alone for God knows how long, but the emotional turmoil came and went like waves crashing against the shore, each time at a different volume, power, and speed than the last.

She was at a relatively calm point in the day (or night, who knew?), banging her head against the wall just for something to do. She tried not to let her mind wander to depressing thoughts, but with nothing else to do it was hard not to.

Steve, Tony, Bruce, Clint, Natasha, Thor, and Pepper were all in danger – and all because someone had planted a freaking robot in her purse and she hadn't noticed. It had just been sitting in her closet for a whole week and she'd never known, and now it was off to capture her friends. Of course she had faith in the Avengers; they weren't Earth's mightiest heroes for nothing. They could squish the spider easy, but it was the evil man she was worried about. He had obviously built it, and if he built it, then he could build bigger, better, things – most likely. Or maybe he could build an entire army and take over the world. Whatever happened would be her fault, and she had to live with the guilt for the rest of her life, however short or long it proved to be.

She bonked her head against the wall yet again. How much time had passed? Minutes? Hours? Days? It couldn't be more than a week, of course not. But… could it? How could she know? The lights in the hallway never turned off, the candles on the chandeliers flickered occasionally, but they never blew out. The fires cast eerie shadows along the floor of her cell and the length of the walls. She didn't want light, she wanted to go home.

She swore she'd visited and touched every single inch of space in the entire room looking for an exit. The entire chamber was made of thick concrete and the only entrance was a mishmash of thick metal bars she could only just barely stick her hand through. She couldn't get farther than her elbow. There was nothing to reach anyway. She'd tried climbing the gate to reach for the chandelier, but it was a good meter away and she was several inches from anywhere near it. She'd even tried to grab the carpet and roll it up to fit through the diamond holes in the bars, but it was just too big. She'd tried ripping it apart, but it was much too strong.

The only other things that may be of use were her clothes, a pack of gum she'd had in her pocket, some lip gloss (she'd been going to confess her love to Steve, she wanted to look good for it, so sue her), a quarter, and the elastic around her wrist. There were also the paintings hanging on the wall across from her cell, but what could they do? Squat, that's what.

She'd already wasted her elastic and quarter as a slingshot to try and knock down a candle. She'd missed. And now they lay at the other side of the hall, useless. That left her lip gloss, some gum, and the clothes she was wearing. Not much to work with. She'd examined the ingredients of the lip gloss to see if there was anything poisonous in it: there was, but only enough to give someone a stomach ache should they chug the entire bottle when it was full (which it most certainly was not). It wasn't even candy flavoured.

Still, the gloss wand may be of some use if she wanted to poke his eye out. And chewed gum made sticky gluey stuff… that had to count for something right? But what…

No sooner had she thought that when she heard footsteps echoing down the hall. There was more than one person and it sounded like one of them was staggering, his rhythm offbeat. She strained her ears to hear anything else. Someone was talking.

"You know you really should grow a beard. It would totally suit you. Scruffy, doesn't take care of itself, unruly, odd, and just plain weird."

Tania's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand in shock. It was Tony. Tony was here, in this hell hole. The man had done it – he had captured Iron Man. And she had been powerless to stop it. She waited until Tony was shoved into her line of sight, wobbling on his feet but managing to stay upright as he turned to face the man she recognized as her kidnapper enter the scene. He looked extremely pleased with himself.

"I would put a sock in it Mr. Stark. Unless of course, you want me to blow up your precious Tower." He pulled a little remote from the inside pocket of his blazer with a round green button on top and waved it in Tony's face.

The billionaire's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists. So that was the reason he hadn't knocked this guy into oblivion. He had the power to destroy everything and everyone he loved with a twitch of the finger.

"Whatever Neil Mac-Blackmailer."

He humph-ed. "Is that all you got?"

Tony opened his mouth to retort when the gates sprung open and he was ruthlessly shoved in, falling roughly on his ass. He turned to face the bars just as the fell back into place and glared at the man behind them. "You're a fucking bastard you know that?"

He chuckled. "Look who's talking. A man doesn't even notice when there's a lady in the room."

Tony whirled around and spotted Tania, sitting on her knees in the shadows of the room, not having moved since the whole ordeal started, instead keeping a keen eye on what was apparently named "Neil".

"Tania!" Tony exclaimed, rushing over to her.

Snapping out of her reverie at the sound of her name, Tania managed to prepare herself just in time to feel Tony's arms fly around her and squeeze her tightly. Hardly daring to believe any of her senses, she just hugged him back. She buried her face in his shoulder and breathed him in, making absolute sure he was real. He was. Crap.

She pulled away. "What are you doing here?! How the hell did you get caught?"

He looked a little sheepish. "Um, well. Let's just say he caught me without my suit."

"Care to elaborate?" By this point, Neil had already gone and the two friends were left to their own devices.

Tony shrugged. "Well, I don't really know where to start."

"Start when you came back to the Tower from your mission."

He sucked in a breath. "That was yesterday."

So that was how long she'd been gone. Yikes. Not like she'd expected anything less. She gestured for him to continue and when he didn't, she huffed. "Come on, out with it."

"Well, let's just say the first thing we saw when we got back wasn't pretty…"

_"Oh dear Lord, someone get me a masseuse and FAST." Tony moaned as he cracked his back, leaning backwards. Clint and Steve rolled their eyes and continued on into the elevator of Stark Tower._

_"You'll live, Stark." Steve said bitterly. He pressed the button for the kitchen floor and Tony leaped in at the last second before the doors closed. He dusted himself off and acted as if nothing happened._

_"Yeah, well, I've got Pepper. Who've you got, Capsicle? Little Miss Piggy might be willing to do it for you. Or maybe Little Red Riding Hood can be evil and huff and puff and give Legolas here a blow-"_

_"Stark!" Clint barked, glaring daggers at the genius. "You better watch your mouth before it's full of explosive arrows."_

_He snorted. "Please, as if you would ever shoot me. You need me. Plus, Fury would have your head on a silver platter and eat it on that hell carrier he's got going on."_

_"It's the hellicarrier." Steve corrected bitterly._

_"I know." He responded cheekily._

_The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside the room, finally taking off his sunglasses and hanging them off the front of his shirt. He turned to face his two comrades when they didn't immediately follow him. They stood stock still._

_"What?" he started backing backwards towards the bar, weirded out by their behaviour, when he felt glass crunch beneath his shoe and he stopped. He looked down and lifted his foot. Shards of broken glass shifted around and he was suddenly afraid to turn around. But that was ridiculous. Tony Stark wasn't afraid. "What? Did Natashalie hear my comment in the elevator and decide to trash my kitchen?"_

_No response. Steve and Clint just stood in the elevator, looks of shock on their faces. He was surprised the doors hadn't closed on them already; it must have been JARVIS' doing. Slowly, carefully, Tony turned around and gasped._

_There were shards of glass everywhere he looked, and his floor to ceiling window was completely shattered. There was a broken stool on the ground by the counter with splinters and nails littering the floor around it. Glasses that had been on the counter had been knocked over haphazardly, and all signs pointed to something crashing through the window. Whether in or out, Tony wasn't sure he wanted to know._

_He slowly walked toward the edge of the window, finding himself almost immediately flanked by Clint and Steve. He peered over the edge – there was a HUGE group of news reporters that looked like ants scrambling around the front entrance to his lobby, which wasn't anything unusual. Except that this group was much bigger than the usual paparazzi that came buzzing by his door, these were actual news reporters there to report news-worthy things. And what could be more newsworthy than a break-in at Stark Tower?_

_Other than that, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. There was no blood, no body, no police, no ambulance, no fire department, nothing. What had happened? A terrible thought struck him._

_He whirled on his heel and veered towards the elevator again, not even trying to avoid the glass on the ground. "JARVIS, where's Pepper?"_

_"She is in her office sir."_

_"Bruce?"_

_"In the lab."_

_"Natasha?"_

_"The gym."_

_"Thor?"_

_"In his room."_

_"Tania?"_

_There was a pause as the three men entered the small room once again and Tony hit the button to the floor of his workshop. The silence unnerved all of them; especially Steve. "She does not appear to be in the building sir."_

_Steve tensed beside Tony and he almost reached a hand out to comfort him – almost. He looked up at the video camera in the corner as if he were looking JARVIS in the eyes. "What's in the video surveillance of the kitchen since after breakfast this morning?"_

_There was another pause. "I'm afraid I do not have any video surveillance from that time period."_

_"What?!"_

_"I still do not. Had I known anything had happened, I would have contacted you immediately."_

_"__I know. That's what bugs me."_

_"When was the last time you saw Tania?" Steve surprised everyone by speaking directly to the A.I. He looked desperate, pleading. Tony pitied him. Pepper had almost been taken away from him once. He'd loathed the feeling._

_"She entered the lobby after a meeting at her old apartment and then entered the elevator. I have no later surveillance of her."_

_Steve closed his eyes and hung his head. It was obvious something had happened to her, and no one had been alerted to it until hours later._  
_When the doors opened, Tony stormed into his workshop and immediately started fiddling with holographic computers and such, while Clint and Steve simply watched. Clint crossed his arms and set his mouth into a hard line._

_"Jarvis, get the others up here ASAP. They need to know this." Tony ordered, his voice monotone and his focus completely somewhere else._

_"Yes, Sir."_

_Within minutes, the other Avengers had all gathered in the workshop impatiently. Natasha put her hands on her hips. "What is it Stark? I have better things to be doing." She did not seem happy._

_"Yes, Man of Iron. I , too, am curious as to your decision to call us all here." Thor agreed, nodding his head._

_"Jarvis, bring up the surveillance of the kitchen after breakfast and fast forward it until we hit movement." Tony ordered, never ceasing the frantic moving his fingers across the holographic screens._

_Clint blinked in surprise. "I thought Jarvis didn't have any?"_

_"I found it. Took some hacking, but for a genius like me, it didn't take more than thirty seconds. Roll it!"_

_The lights dimmed and a giant holographic screen appeared in the center of the room above a sleek counter. On the screen was a video with a time in the top right corner of the kitchen at Stark Tower they most frequented. JARVIS fast-forwarded the video until Tania entered the room and then played it at normal speed._

_"Where is Tania, anyway?" Bruce asked._

_"I was just thinking the same thing." Pepper commented._

_Tony, Steve, and Clint shushed them all. The video was high-tech and really clear, so it had sound and colour (unlike most security cameras). They watched as Tania walked into the room and started pacing and talking to herself._

_"You can do this. It's just Steve. Oh, but he's so much more than just Steve. He's also Captain America, and an Avenger, the man out of time, the world's one and only super soldier, and he's my best friend. What if I mess it up? Oh hell, it's me. Of course I'm going to mess it up. No! I can't afford to think like that. I have to be confidant, I have to- AH!" she hit the counter with her hip and fell to the floor behind the island where the camera couldn't see her. She groaned. "That's gonna bruise."_

_Tony stole a glance at Steve. His eyes were wide and his jaw might as well have been on the floor. The philanthropist knew what she had been about to do, too bad Steve was about as clueless as… well… a man from the past living in the future. He turned his gaze back onto the screen._

_Tania screamed and then something metal shot out from behind the island and rammed into the far window. She stood up and the thing scanned her. She grabbed a nearby wooden stool and tried to smash it but she missed. It then leaped onto her shirt. She began to move around and tripped over the remains of the stool and grabbed one of the legs. She then pried it off and struggled to her feet._

_"Stay away from me!" she screeched. The thing shot some sort of string at her hand and stole the stake from right out of her hands. She got into the fighting stance she had obviously learned from Natasha when the thing crawled up her legs, torso, and then face and scanned her again. Using phenomenal strength, it yanked her through the window and over the edge. There was a little flash of a red glow before all movement ceased._  
_JARVIS cut the feed. No one really knew what to do or say. After several moments of silence, Natasha stepped forward into the circle they had subconsciously made around the counter. She slammed her fist on the top, startling everyone on the room. "Well, are we just going to stand her gawking, or are we going to do something about it?"_

_"Tasha's right." Clint nodded. Tony noticed he was particularly tense – even more so than usual. In fact, everyone in the room seemed to be affected negatively in some way or another. But Steve looked like he'd been hit the hardest._

_His shoulders were slumped, his head was down, his breathing was ragged, and his hair flopped in front of his face. He looked miserable. Tony quickly snapped in front of his face to bring him back to attention. He sat up straight, shoulders back, head up, eyes hard, and clenched his fists. Steve didn't look like Steve anymore. He looked like a pissed off Captain America._

_"Stark," he was pulled out of his observation by Natasha, who was staring at him expectantly, "get to work on finding out what happened outside that building. I don't care if you have to send a friggin' satellite back in time and then throw into space yourself. Get that footage!" she ordered._

_Instead of wasting time and being his usual dick-self, he simply got to work, hardly acknowledging anyone's presence. Bruce shyly stood beside him and he too began to maneuver the computers to find the footage. "Hacking isn't really my thing, but I think this calls for an exception."_

_"You're damn right it does." Tony responded, already immersed in the digital world._

_Clint turned to his partner. "What do we do?"_

_Instead of Natasha, it was Steve who answered. "We find her. And we start, with the paparazzi."_

_"The paparazzi? You have got to be kidding me!" Natasha rolled her eyes._

_"Have you got a better idea?" he shot back. He obviously wasn't in the mood to argue. Natasha didn't have a comeback anyway. "That's what I thought." He turned and stalked out the door, Thor, Clint, and Natasha trailing behind._

_A beat. "Well, I think he took that rather well, don't you?" Tony stated. Pepper just shook her head and sat down in a chair by a nearby wall._

_"Who do you think took her?" she asked, eyes glassy._

_Tony hesitated to answer. "I don't know. It could be anyone. It's not like she and Cap's 'relationship' has gone public yet, so it can't be any of his enemies. It might be one of Clint's, the guy's probably got a laundry list of them."_

_"That's right, the paparazzi thought they were together."_

_"They also know that she works for SI. I guess it could be Hammer, but I doubt it. There's no way his tech could infiltrate Jarvis. It had to be someone else. Someone bigger and better, with high-tech stuff. Thing is, I don't know anyone more high-tech than me." He turned to the other scientist in the room. "What about you Bruce? Got any bright ideas?"_

_"No, but I do have the footage." Pepper and Tony immediately gathered around him to view the screen that popped up. "It's from the building across the street." He pressed a button and the video began to play._

_It was short, maybe about a minute long, not even. The glass from a high up window to Stark Tower shattered and a figure fell from it. A little black dot emerged from her face as the body flipped over and over again. But then something totally unusual happened: a giant red portal opened up and swallowed Tania whole. And then it disappeared in the blink of an eye. That explained why there was no body, she had been teleported somewhere else. But where? A portal like that wouldn't leave residue or finger prints._

_Tony snapped his fingers and set to work. He grabbed a silver suitcase from under the counter ran for the elevator._

_"Tony! Where are you going?" Pepper called, following after him with Bruce at her heels. The doors closed behind them and he pressed the button for the kitchen floor._

_"There are no clues from a kidnapping like that – at least, no substantial ones. But that portal might have left something behind. Radiation, a breeze, dust, sound waves, probably radiation, something. This little guy here," he gestured to the case, "can detect all of that within a mile radius." He patted the metal twice with his palm as the doors opened._

_The trio rushed inside, mindful of the glass, and made their way to the edge of the broken window. Tony knelt down and opened up the case. A metal circle on a pole rose up from its depths and started turning by itself. Bruce and Pepper watched in awe as it began to spin faster and faster, creating what appeared to be red electricity between the two sides of the circle that zapped dangerously as the speed increased._

_And then it stopped and sent electricity zapping in all different directions. Everyone dove for cover on the floor. When it stopped, Tony coughed and waved away the slight smoke. "Yeah, haven't worked out all the kinks yet. It's just a little side effect. No biggie."_

_"No biggie?!" Pepper cried, "Tony, that could have killed us!"_

_"Pffft!" he shrugged it off, "Of course not. The worst it could do would give some minor electric burns. Nothing too bad."_

_"Nothing t-?!"_

_She was interrupted when Tony cut her off. "It's done! There were traces of radiation left in the air after Tania's grand exit."_

_"Can you trace it?" asked Bruce._

_Tony looked offended. "Can I trace it? Of course I can trace it. I'm a freaking genius. Do you know me at all?"_

_"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's go!"_

_The three of them gathered the machine and headed back to Tony's workshop, where he and Bruce started working their magic on the computers to determine the radiation source. After several, long, excruciating minutes, Tony cried out, "Got it!"_

_They contacted the others and then met up in the workshop once again to share information. Steve went first. "The news reporters say that a giant wormhole opened up about thirty feet in the air for a few seconds and then disappeared. Everything thinks you've created something that will destroy the world."_

_"That sounds like something I would do."_

_Steve rolled his eyes. "Several citizens say they heard a fait sound of glass shattering mere seconds before the hole opened. One of them even said they saw two black dots: one of which sent a beam of light which created the wormhole."_

_"That black dot was probably the robot we saw on camera." Bruce theorized, leaning against the counter behind him._

_"So the wormhole came from the spider to kidnap Tania?" Natasha confirmed, now dressed in her SHIELD cat suit. Clint had obviously had the same idea, seeing as his bow was strapped firmly to his back._

_Tony shook his head. "It wasn't a wormhole. It was a portal that was slightly radioactive. I managed to examine a bit of the radiation before it faded away and then gather information about it." He brought up a holographic diagram in the middle of the room, "The person who built the spider obviously knew what he was doing. He's smart – unlike most villains. Using the video footage of Tania's kidnapping and clues left behind, Bruce and I discovered that the portal was created using an unknown element combined with a bunch of others to make it stable enough to actually transport someone somewhere. Unfortunately, it's actually impossible to trace the whereabouts of Tania with just some radiation and a video feed to go on, but we're working on it."_

_"I called SHIELD a little while ago. They've got their best agents on it." Clint stated._

_"Since when does SHIELD give a rat's ass about Tania?" Tony inquired._

_"We're the Avengers. We saved the world. We deserve a little something in return."_

_"And that convinced him?"_

_"Fine. I told him that I thought the villain was someone SHIELD has been after for just under a decade."_

_"Good strategy."_

_"I thought so."_

_"So what do we do now?" Natasha asked, "Can you reopen the portal?"_

_Tony pursed his lips. "Of course. The thing is, it's going to take time."_

_"We don't have time!" Steve interrupted, pounding his fist on the counter, "Every minute we waste is one that Tania could be hurt, dying, or worse."_

_"We're doing the best we can. I can't work any faster-"_

_"Well you're going to have to!"_

_"Steve!"_

_"Tony!"_

_The two men glared at each other with surprising force. Pepper stepped between them and raised both of her hands, palms facing each. "Guys, Steve's right. We don't have time to waste. Tony, how long do you need to open the portal?"_

_He hummed. "Mm, about an hour. Maybe less if Bruce helps."_

_"On it." The doctor nodded and set to work on a computer screen a few counters away. Tony started working at the computer he was currently positioned at._

_Seeing as he was a born leader, Steve took over. "Clint, Natasha, I want you guys in the sky. Get a quinjet and report anything you see." The two SHIELD agents nodded curtly and left. Steve turned to the God of Thunder, "Thor, I need you to inspect the kitchen, make sure we didn't miss anything vital."_

_"Yes Captain." He turned and exited, cape flying dramatically behind him._

_Pepper approached the man out of time. "What can I do?" _

_"Ma'am, I know it doesn't seem like much, but I need you to keep an eye on Stark and Banner. They tend to forget basic survival needs when they're this immersed. Call Tania's cell phone and don't stop."_

_She nodded. "And what are you going to do?"_

_He hesitated before answering, his chest rising up and down faster than usual. He looked into her eyes and told the honest to darn truth: "I'm going __to find her." With that said, he spun on his heel and strode out of the room, his muscles flexing almost spasmodically. ALMOST._

_Pepper whipped out her phone and dialed Tania's phone. As it rang, she turned to Tony. "Can you trace the signal?"_

_"Easily."_

_When the ringing cut to voicemail, Pepper left a message to buy Tony time to trace it. After thirty seconds, she was cut off. "Did you get it?"_

_"Yeah." His eyebrows furrowed together. "It's coming from her room."_

_"You don't think-?"_

_"She couldn't be. Jarvis?"_

_"She is not on the premises, Sir."_

_"See?"_

_Pepper bit her lip. "Right, okay. You guys hungry?"_

_"I think we're good." Bruce replied, preoccupied. Pepper shifted back and forth on her heels. The doctor noticed. "But I am a little thirsty. Do you think you could please get us a few bottles of water?"_

_She nodded and exited the room with purpose, glad to have something to do. Tony watched her leave. "I'm not thirsty."_

_Bruce shrugged. "She needed something to do and it needed to contribute to the matter at hand. If she didn't, she looked like she might pass out."_

_Tony nodded. "Good thinking. So what do we know so far?"_

_"Tania was abducted by a robotic spider who can create portals to who knows where and she left her cell phone as well. The video also implies she was finally going to confess to Steve."_

_"The only thing worse than a smart villain is a smart villain with bad timing."_

_"I agree wholeheartedly."_

_They worked diligently for about half an hour before being interrupted by JARVIS. "Sir, Ms. Potts has asked me to pass on the message that the spider is back."_

_Tony and Bruce stopped what they were doing immediately and both looked up at the ceiling as if they could actually see the A.I. "Where is she?" the billionaire asked, panicked._

_"She's in the lobby."_

_Tony cursed under his breath and bolted for the elevator. Bruce made to follow him but was stopped by the philanthropist. "Stay here. We need someone trying to reopen that portal at all times or everything we worked for in the past thirty minutes will have gone to waste. I can handle a little spider. I don't think we need the big guy."_

_"No, but you might need a doctor." Bruce grumbled, but returned to work. Satisfied, Tony took the elevator down the lobby as fast as he could, and when the doors opened, everything was as it should be – minus the excessively large group of reporters huddling around his door._

_"Jarvis-?" _

_"She's in the waiting room, Sir."_

_Tony didn't waste a second and ran to his right. He was going so fast he almost ran into the automatic door but managed to stop himself just in time. He was in. The door closed behind him and he took in his surroundings. Pepper and the spider seemed to be having a stare down and she appeared to be winning. The CEO was known for her stares that could make even the coldest of hearts feel guilty._

_The arachnid looked even creepier in person, Tony decided. And because of that, he felt the urge to protect his girlfriend from its creepiness and stepped in front of her. Immediately, the robot shot a string of webs at him and he managed to stick his hands in his face before it could there, but the webs wrapped around his hands and yanked him forward. He stumbled a bit but caught his footing. Meanwhile, the spider had scanned him. Dark hair. Male. Perfect._

_Not about to just stand by and watch, Pepper grabbed the web and ripped it apart with her hands. The spider then launched itself at her but she managed to duck just in time. It flew over her head and rammed into the far wall before bouncing off harmlessly. It landed on its back but rolled over with ease. It's one red eye flashed angrily._

_Tony reached behind him to grab the paralyzer he always kept on him ever since Obadiah but he wasn't quick enough. The spider whirred before shooting a red beam towards him. With a cry of "Look out!" Pepper tackled him to the ground (which he would totally deny later on) and narrowly missed whacking his head against the corner of the desk._

_Where Tony and Pepper had just been standing, there was a smaller version of the portal Tania had been sucked into standing vertically. Both of them gaped. Tony's grip on Pepper tightened and he practically threw her off of him in order to get them both to their feet._  
_It was clear that the spider hadn't wanted to capture only Tania – it was after the other Avengers too. He could only hope that Pepper came to the same conclusion as he was sucked into its blood red depths. The last thing he saw was her horrified face._

**A.N. Hi again. So, I don't know if you can actually trace radiation, but let's say that Tony and Bruce are geniuses (which they ARE) and that they just can mmk? All things like the fact that this all happened supposedly a day before will be explained in the next chapter. Keep reviewing please! They make me SO happy! :D**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N. Hello! So I have some exciting news. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do a sequel to this story but it's not %100 percent confirmed yet. There is a poll regarding it on my profile so go there and vote! :D I can't wait for the results! Now I hope you enjoy the story :D And just a friendly reminder, a honestly don't own the Avengers ;)**

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

"Oh my God that's awful!" Tania exclaimed, a hand to her heart. Tony shrugged.

"At least Pepper didn't get sucked in with me."

"I guess… but what happened after that?"

"Well, I landed in some sort of dining room. It was huge, but not nearly as big as the one I have in Malibu," she rolled her eyes, he continued, "Anyway, I sit up and there's this guy standing over me smirking like he's… well, like he's me. Except, more evil. So he invites me to 'dinner' and after a few very clever quips, I sit down at one end of the exceedingly long table and he does the other. It's kind of hard to talk that way but I was as far away from him as possible. There was also absolutely no food in sight so I had no idea how he planned on having me over for 'dinner' without the actual dinner. He introduced himself as Neil and told me that he thought my arc reactor was very interesting. Naturally, I said that I was flattered but didn't like men that way. He rolled his eyes had his creepy spider thing knock me out. I'm still not quite sure how, I think it stole my paralyzer and stabbed me with it," he felt around in his back pocket for the weapon only to discover it was gone, "Yup. Thought so.

"So I wake up in the same chair, same room, same position, but I can tell from my internal clock that it had been several hours since I'd been unconscious. He seemed to be debating something but wasn't speaking loud enough for me to hear. I think it was some foreign language like Turkish or something. So yeah, he realized I was awake, interrogated me rather lamely, I told him nothing. He tossed me in here. And they all lived happily ever after."

Tania snorted. "I think you skipped a part."

"You mean the part where I break us out of here and save our asses so you can finally tell your star spangled man how you feel?"

"He's not my-!" he shot her a look that clearly stated that he wasn't buying whatever crap she was dishing. She sighed, "Fine. But how are you going to do that?"

"I haven't worked that part out yet but don't worry, I'm on the case."

"How?"

"What have you got?"

"Gum and lip gloss."

"Okay, well I have a pen and a napkin."

"Why do you have a napkin?"

"In case I ever get struck with an idea and need to write it down."

"Don't you have a Stark Phone or something for that?"

"Well yeah, but it's always good to have a back-up plan."

"You make back up plans?"

He laughed. "God, no. I just forget my cell phone in random places constantly and can't afford anyone else finding it and stealing my stuff."

"Okay… so how are you getting us out of here, exactly?"

"Well, I'm going to try and draw a map of what I remember on this napkin." Tony went to take the pen from the pocket of his jeans only to come up with a palm of black ink. He stared at it blankly. "How did I not notice that?"

Tania shrugged. "I don't know. Now what?"

"Hand me your lip gloss."

She did so and he began using it as a makeshift pen. It was hard at first and his writing was complete bubble gum pink chicken scratch, but Tony seemed to be able to read it just fine. That was all that mattered really. When he was done, he scooted closer to Tania, radiating body heat in the cold cell. He showed her the napkin and begin pointing out squares and circles.

"Okay, so this is the cell we're in now. This is the hallway. I came from this way, which has a corner where you turn right and then there's a door that leads to a foyer of some sort. After that, you head up the stairs on the left that spiral upwards to the second level and immediately enter the dining room with a balcony view of the foyer. Unfortunately, that's all I really know. In the foyer, there are these very large double doors that I can only assume lead outside. There were absolutely no windows in any place that I'd seen. Those doors are our only suspicion."

"Okay, so we go there. But there's still the matter of these bars." She glared at the metal poles criss-crossing her exit.

"Easy. Give me your gum."

She reached into her pocket and handed it to him. He popped one out and into his mouth, chewing abnormally fast. A couple minutes later, he reached into his mouth and removed the sticky wad. He crawled over to the bars and placed his arm through one of the diamond shaped holes close to the right wall. He bent his arm and felt around for the switch with his middle, ring, and pinkie fingers while the index and thumb held the gum. Eventually, he found it and stuck the gum to the switch, spreading it around haphazardly in the hopes of short circuiting it. But the second that the wad touched anything vital, Tony felt a powerful shock electrocute him.

And then just like that it was over, the pain was gone. It had come and gone so fast he hadn't even had time to register pain before he yanked his hand away and cradled it to his chest. Tania immediately crawled over.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

He nodded. "I've had worse."

"I'm assuming it didn't work?"

"Congrats, Nancy Drew. You're a real detective!"

"So what now?"

Tony remained quiet, silently contemplating his option. He had been so confidant in that plan – in his only plan. He'd put all his hopes on that one little piece of gum, he'd put all his metaphorical eggs into one basket. And it had backfired on him. It was obvious that he didn't really know what to do next. She still had some gum left as well as her lip gloss and the napkin that was smothered in it, but other than that they had nothing. Not even a plan.

Accepting that they were stuck there for the time being, Tania sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder in resignation. He tensed at first, but relaxed easy enough and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Jesus, Tania, you're freezing."

"Am I? I honestly hadn't noticed."

"I would totally pull a Steve and give you my jacket but it just so happens that I don't have one."

She chuckled bitterly. "Oh well. Guess we'll just have to deal."

"We'll get out of here, Tania, I promise you we will."

"I'm not gonna let you make a promise you can't keep."

"But I'm going to keep it."

"Tony-"

"Just shut up and accept it Banks. I need incentive. I work well under pressure."

"Fine. But we better come out relatively unscathed." She was nothing if not realistic.

"Done."

With that, the two people whose names started with T leaned back against the ice cold wall and thought. Tania was curled into a ball at Tony's side, hugging her legs to her chest and burying her face into his shoulder. His legs were spread out in front of him and his right arm was slung across her shoulders in a vain attempt to give her warmth. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Time passed excruciatingly slowly for the two of them, huddled together against the rounded walls of their prison. Tony's eyes were glazed over and his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. It was obvious how hard he was trying to figure out a way to get them out of there, but he appeared to be coming up blank. Tania was going over strategies and such in her head as well, but mostly she was just praying that the other Avengers would come save the day.

She had total faith in her friends and knew they would do everything they could to get her and Tony back. The questions was, whether or not it would be too late. They had been sitting in the cell for hours just… sitting there. What did this Neil person plan on doing with them? Why not do it now? It was possible that he was waiting for the capture of the other Avengers to start anything. If that were true, then Tania wished to stay alone in the cell for as long as she could. She didn't want anyone else to go stir crazy along with them.

A few hours later (at least, that's how long she thought it had been), her stomach grumbled. She blushed and closed her eyes, pretending that it never happened. Tony, on the other hand, snapped to attention. Realizing how loud it had been, she blushed harder.

"Someone's hungry."

"No I'm not." She argued feebly.

"Yes you are."

"So what? It's not like we have any food."

"There's gotta be something-"

"Like what? Gum? Lip gloss? The carpet over there?"

"You could just chew some gum-"

"I won't swallow it if that's what you're implying I do."

"I'm not, but the taste might get your mind off it. It's kind of like tricking your mind into thinking you're eating."

She paused for a while. "I guess…" she hesitantly removed the pack from her pocket and popped a piece into her mouth. After a few chews, she spoke up again. "Happy now?"

"Not really. I'm starving. Pass me some."

She tossed it to him and he caught it with ease. He took one and handed it back to her. There were only three pieces left. She stuffed it in her pocket and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm gonna sleep mmkay?"

She was gone before she heard his answer.

She awoke to the sounds of metal screeching. At first she thought it might have been some sort of weird alarm, but then she remembered where she was and her eyes snapped open. She was still snuggled up next to Tony in the cell, but there was something different: Neil was there, and so was Thor. The thunder God lay unconscious in front of the bars just as they started closing. Neil smirked, obviously pleased with himself and what he had accomplished.

Tania bolted up and ran for him, slamming into the bars rather harshly. "Neil!" she cried, anger seeping through her voice. He raised an eyebrow, signaling that he was listening. "What do you want from us? Why are we here?" she demanded to know.

"Because, my pet," she grimaced, "you are all my guinea pigs."

"Guinea pigs?"

He chuckled. "Why yes."

He apparently wasn't going to elaborate any more. She tried a different tactic. "Where am I supposed to take a piss?"

"Oh!" he clapped his hands once, "Of course. What kind of host does that make me? Here." He pressed a button on the wall she couldn't see. She heard the sounds of machines whirring behind her and she spun around. A bucket had emerged from the wall. She whirled around to face Neil again – only to find that the hallway was empty.

She sighed and turned. Tony was still asleep, not having stirred during the entire encounter. Thor was lying on his stomach, breathing deeply. She kneeled down next to him and inspected him for injuries. He seemed unharmed. His hammer was nowhere in sight but he was dressed in full battle armour, cape, chest plate, and all.

She brushed the hair from his face. He did not seem peaceful, but he wasn't tossing and turning either. There was a small circle indent in his throat; it looked like a needle had punctured his skin. It must have been a dart of some kind. She swallowed a large lump in her throat. If this man could create a dart that knock the God unconscious, then he was obviously very very intelligent. He was probably a mad scientist of some sort.

She reached out and made to remove his cape when his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip. She cried out in shock and Tony jumped awake.

"What? Where's the fire?" his eyes swept the entire room until they landed her and a very wide-eyed Thor. The tallest Avenger let go of her wrist and sat up immediately.

"I apologize Lady Tania. I knew not whether you were friend or foe." He looked around at his surroundings, "Where are we?"

"It's a prison cell." She stated, eyes dark.

Thor frowned. "Worry not Friend Tony and Lady Tania, I shall relieve us of this prison." He held out his arm straight to the side as if waiting for a high five. Nothing happened. Confused, he flexed all his muscles (damn…) and bent his fingers.

Tania blinked. "Um, whatcha doing?" she questioned curiously. Maybe that dart had more effect than she thought…

"I am calling Mjolnir. However, it seems that it is blocked by something."

"Mlowneer?"

"It's his mystical hammer that attends to his every beck and call. Basically if he calls for it then it shows up no matter how far away." Tony explained, "Did I get that right, Point Break?"

"Yes, however it appears to be very far away. I can feel its energy coming towards me, yet it is moving very slowly and is not close."

Tania's eyes widened. "If it's so far away… then… where are we?" she looked at each Avenger who, in turn, looked at the other two. No one had an answer. What if they were across the ocean on another continent? Steve and the others would never be able to find them. She could feel the tears prickle her eyes but she forced them back.

"Thor… where is your hammer?"

"Last I saw, it was on the ground in front of Avengers Tower."

"What was it doing there?"

"Well…"

_Thor dropped the couch in frustration. It clattered to the floor among the shattered glass, its wooden legs splintering. He huffed. Another thing broken in such a disastrous chamber. He looked around the kitchen he had searched unsuccessfully for more clues. It had been AT LEAST twenty minutes since he was sent to look and the sun was starting to come up._

_He didn't really know how technology worked, but much like Steve, he was a quick learner. So when JARVIS spoke up out of nowhere, the God didn't even jump. "Mr. Odinson, Ms. Potts and Dr. Banner request your immediate presence in the lab."_

_"Thank you mysterious voice." He nodded his head and strode to the elevator. He made it back to the lab less than a minute later. Bruce and Pepper greeted him there. Pepper was in hysterics and Bruce appeared to be trying to comfort her and failing. "What has happened?"_

_They both looked up. "They took Tony!" Pepper exclaimed, voice high and squeaky. She appeared to be in a state of panic but there was a surprising lack of tears._

_Thor frowned. "Who is 'they'?"_

_"The spider! It came back and it… it sucked Tony into a miniature portal and then jumped in with him! The portal closed right after and I couldn't follow them and- and- I-" she took a deep breath but it didn't seem to help, "I ran straight here to tell Bruce."_

_"Where are the others?" Thor wanted to know._

_"Steve is M.I.A and Clint and Natasha are still flying around the quinjet." Bruce answered solemnly._

_"M.I.A.?" he questioned, confused at the acronym._

_"Missing in action." The doctor explained._

_"Do you believe he to be captured as well?"_

_"No, not really. The spider appears to be targeting the Avengers and everyone in the Tower. If Steve isn't in the Tower, which Jarvis has confirmed, then the probability of it finding him will be extremely low."_

_"So and the others are safe?"_

_"For the most part."_

_He nodded. "And this… spider. Will it return?"_

_"Patterns suggest that yes, it will return. We don't know its next target, but it appears to take anyone it sees-"_

_"It didn't take me." Pepper intervened, raising a hand as if she were still in school, "It could have kidnapped me before Tony got there, but it didn't."_

_"Well then it probably learned from its mistake last time. From what I know, Tania can't give them any vital information which suggests that the person behind all this doesn't want her, just the Avengers."_

_"If the person doesn't want her, then… you don't think…" Pepper whispered afraid of the answer. Bruce and Thor shared a look of doubt about what to tell her before returning their gazes to her._

_"I honestly can't say, Pepper. It's very hard to tell."_

_There was a silence as they contemplated that statement. Could Tania really be… dead? Thor refused to consider the option. He focused instead on finding a way to get her back. "This portal, it gives off… radiation, yes?"_

_Bruce nodded. "That's correct."_

_"And Friend Tony said that it could be used to find the location of such magic?"_

_"We could trace it, yes. But with so little evidence, it will take a long time to do all the calculations and such."_

_"If you had more of this radiation, would the process become faster?"_

_"In theory, yes."_

_Then surely there is more radiation from Friend Tony's abduction. Could we not collect some more?"_

_Bruce's eyes widened. "Of course! Thor, you're a genius." He grabbed the case Tony had used earlier and ran for the elevator, Pepper trailing behind._

_Thor felt a sense of pride warm his insides as he turned to follow them. On Midgard, he was not often considered "a genius". It was a compliment he did not take lightly._

_When they reached the waiting room from before, Pepper almost had a meltdown… luckily she decided to stay outside and not disturb them. Bruce laid the machine on the floor and turned it on. As it spun faster and faster, Bruce shouted out, "DUCK!" before crouching himself._

_Thor obeyed his comrade in the nick of time by diving behind a nearby desk. A small spark exploded electricity throughout the room and then it was over. Thor poked his head over the desk. He could feel his hair start to rise from his shoulders and he pawed at it frantically._

_"What is this trickery?"_

_Bruce spotted him and chuckled. "It's called static, Thor. I'll explain it to you some other time." He examined the radiation analyzing machine (RAM) and gave a ghost of a smile. "I've got it. The leftover radiation is strong."_

_He packed up the case and headed outside with Thor at his heels. When they passed Pepper, she immediately followed. They headed back into the lab so many floors up and then Bruce got to work._

_As he typed furiously on the computers, Thor shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. He was of no use in the technology department, but he wanted to help find this lost maiden who had been so friendly to him but a few days prior._

_Seeing his fidgeting, Pepper spoke. "Thor, maybe you could get the reporters to leave us alone – at least at the front door. I'm sure you could do more than scare them away should the need arise."_

_Content with being able to help in some way, Thor nodded before exiting the room. In the elevator had already ridden at least five times that night (or morning now), he contemplated how he was going to make the obnoxious paparazzi go away. But when the doors opened and he spotted the annoying people trying to break in, his eyes narrowed and he knew exactly what to do._

_He strode over to the glass doors of the front entrance and shoved it back, making sure not to let it shatter beneath his strength. They swung back and pushed all the reporters to the side, making a clear path to the outside. The doors closed behind him and whirled on the annoying people trying to impose on his second home (or third if you counted Jane's place)._

_His glare kept the puny reporters at bay as he spoke. "You have no right to be invading our privacy. You are all petty and disrespectful humans who cannot handle the consequences of such actions. I suggest you leave now or face the wrath of the Son of Odin." He raised his arm as if to call his mighty hammer._

_Despite not knowing that, the paparazzi fled in a scurry of panic and fear. Thor lowered his arm and chuckled. He never had any intentions of hurting the humans, only of scaring them away. Job complete, he looked around aimlessly._

_A few tiny crumbs of glass lay on the ground, having exploded upon impact from such a dizzying height. He knelt and inspected the shiny substance without touching it. Despite being incredibly strong and virtually unbreakable, he didn't want to cut himself on the sharp pieces of evidence of Tania's kidnapping._

_With nothing to go on, he sighed. Then something moved out of the corner of his eye. Normally, something moving outside in the bustling streets of New York City wouldn't catch his attention, but this was different. Something in his gut told him to look and he thanked it when he spotted the mechanical spider back for more._

_It was creeping along the walls of the Tower, waiting for the doors to open from someone else coming into the skyscraper that represented the Avengers' coming together. Gritting his teeth, Thor held out his hand, calling his hammer to him for real. Mjolnir appeared out of nowhere and zoomed into his awaiting hand. The second skin met metal a giant flash of light blinded anyone who was watching. Thunder crackled once in the sky above and then it was over. Thor stood in full battle armour, hammer clutched tightly as he prepared himself for battle._

_He pointed Mjolnir at the spider who was staring at him. "Foul creature, thou shalt feel my wrath!" he lunged for the arachnid who deftly leapt out of the way. The hammer smashed the glass door to pieces from his brute strength and he spent but a moment regretting such a rash decision. He didn't have long to ponder as the little spy had now jumped onto his back and encased his throat in some sort of string that wasn't very powerful._  
_Thor ripped it off with a mighty roar and grabbed the spider before it could run away. He slammed it into the ground in front of him, causing the cement to crack. Miraculously, the robot rolled over seemingly unharmed, though its back was dented a bit. It looked up at him and shot something so tiny that the God didn't even see the projectile before it nicked his neck._

_Immediately, he felt numb, so numb, that he only barely registered his vision turning red as he tumbled forward into unconsciousness._


	26. Chapter 26

**A.N. Hiya everybody! So again, just a reminder that there is a poll on my profile regarding whether or not you want a sequel (and Spiderman) and that... actually, that's it. So, enjoy! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

"And then I woke up here." Thor admitted. He hung his head in shame. "I have been defeated by such a tiny creature. I have failed you. Please accept my sincerest apologies."

"Hey, no, no, no, no." Tania cooed, scooting closer to him. She grabbed his bicep in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. "It's okay. We were all defeated by said 'tiny creature'. You didn't fail us. You helped us! You gave Bruce the idea to collect more radiation. That was a really clever thing to do!"

Thor offered a small smile. "I must still beg your forgiveness, as I am not at my usual strength no thanks to that arachnid." He rubbed the side of his neck with a grimace on his face. "I am afraid I feel rather weak, unfortunately." He stated, much to his chagrin.  
Tony shook his head. "Join the club blondie. None of have eaten in at least twenty four hours." He looked between Tania and Thor, "Hey, what do you know? The three Ts in one room."

"Technically, you're A for Anthony." She deadpanned.

He waved it off. "Technicalities."

"That's why I said technically."

He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, well, technically you can bite me."

The two glared at each other forcefully and Thor was forced to step between them. "My friends, now is not the time for arguing. We must work together in order to escape this prison."

A few seconds later, Tania gave up and sighed, letting Tony win the staring contest. "You're right. We're just going a little stir crazy in here. How long have been locked up for?"

"By my calculations and my internal clock, I'd say about twenty hours." Tony replied, most traces of anger gone.

Tania groaned and flopped onto her back. Her stomach rumbled again. "Is he just going to leave us here to die?" she asked, throwing an arm over her eyes. She heard the rustling of clothes and assumed Tony shrugged.

"Maybe. Who knows? Got any ideas Shakespeare in the Park?" Thor blinked. "Thor, do you know why he hasn't done anything with us yet?"

Instead of Thor, it was Tania who answered. "He said something about us being his Guinea pigs." she confessed.

Tony sat at full attention. "When did he say that?"

"About half an hour ago, when Thor was dropped off."

"And you spoke to him?"

"To Neil, yeah. I asked him what he wanted with us, he called me a pet, said we were guinea pigs, I asked him where I was supposed to pee, he made a bucket appear out of nowhere." She gestured to the bucket not two meters away from Tony who was staring at it as if he had just had an epiphany. Wait…

"It didn't come out of nowhere. It had to have come from somewhere." He picked the bucket up and moved it as he felt around the space it had just been. He held his hand towards Tania without taking his eyes off the spot. "Tania, hand me your lip gloss." She did as she was told and he quickly unscrewed the cap and began drawing a rectangle around the spot that continued from wall to floor. When he was done, he handed it back to her.

"Okay, so the bucket either came from the floor, the wall," he looked up, "or dropped from the ceiling. My theory is the wall, which means that there's either a cabinet behind it or a secret passageway to a kitchen or something. He began feeling around the square for something that could help him. "Hey Thor? A little help?"

Thor crawled over to Tony and began pushing as well. Because of his massive size, Tania couldn't squeeze in and help – there was no room. So she sat back and watched as they pushed uselessly at the wall. After several minutes of this, both men gave up on it and sat back, panting.

"Let's try the ceiling." Tania suggested. "Thor, lift me onto your shoulders so I can test it." She stood up and the others quickly followed suit.

"There's no way you'll be able to reach that even on his shoulders." Tony stated matter-of-factly.

"Well then how do we test your theory about the ceiling?"

"I shall lift the both of you." Thor answered like it was obvious. They turned to him.

"What?" they chorused.

Thor shrugged. "The Lady Tania shall be hefted onto Friend Tony's shoulders, while Friend Tony shall be placed upon my own."

Tania and Tony shared a look of hesitance and doubt. "Do you really think that will work?" she asked.

Thor shrugged and looked to the inventor. "Are our combined heights tall enough?"

Tony did a bit of mental math. "Well…. With the length of Tania's arms as well… almost."

"Almost?" Tania questioned, voice rising in pitch. Less than twenty four hours ago, she had been tumbling from twenty stories up. She was no longer a fan of heights (not that she was in the first place).

Tony nodded. "If Thor can lift us both up using only his hands outstretched then we can just reach it. If I'm standing, that is." Despite his confidant words, Tania could tell that the billionaire was very hesitant to do so. And he wasn't the only one.

Before either of them could contemplate it further, Thor had made his decision. "Then it is settled." He grabbed Tania round the waist and lifted her onto an unprepared Tony's shoulders. The philanthropist stumbled and almost fell to the floor but managed not to crumble under Tania's weight. He did, however, crash into a wall with wobbly knees. Tania squeaked and braced herself against it, her face coming within millimetres of the cement. Totally unstable, she squeezed his chest with her legs, only to realize such an intimate position. She blushed a tomato red and loosened up.

Tony inhaled deeply. "Man! You have thighs of steel! What have you been doing?"

"Self-defense with Natasha." She confessed, trying desperately not to let her fear overcome her. She was high off the ground and she did not like this at all. Her breathing became short and shallow and she closed her eyes.

"Hey, how's the weather up there?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Nauseating." She said truthfully. "I don't like heights."

"Since when?"

"Since I fell from the tallest Tower in New York City just yesterday!" she snapped. Silence descended upon the cell. "I'm sorry. I'm fine. Just… just get me up there."

"You sure?" Tony asked, genuine concern etched in his voice. Tania nodded. He didn't see it, but Thor somehow managed to sense it.

"If you are certain." Thor held out his hands for Tony to step on, which he did, albeit very slowly. When he made that little jump to two feet on his hands, Thor very carefully raised them above his head. Tania squeaked again at being so high and forced herself to stare at the ceiling that was coming ever closer. Tony wobbled unsteadily and Tania groped the ceiling for some form of stability.

"Thor," Tony called out a bit strained from Tania's weight, "I need you to get as close to the rectangle as possible."

Thor looked down and noticed the lip gloss made spot a couple feet away. He started slowly walking towards it as Tony and Tania rocked back and forth, both making uncertain whining noises as they went. "This is so improbable!" Tania cried out, her gut twisting in uncomfortable ways.

Eventually, they made it to the wall and Tony braced himself against it, one hand on the cold surface while the other held Tania's calf tightly. He looked up as much as he could without poking his head up her skirt (which she was totally regretting wearing). She was blushing from head to toe, but at least Tony had the decency not to mention it or look. "Hey Banks? You doin' okay up there?"

It took a second for her to respond. "Yeah, yeah I'm good." She forced her eyes open and stared at the ceiling. She reached up and pressed her palms to it and pushed, but she wasn't high enough. "I hate to say this, but do you think we can get any higher?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the dark ceiling.

Thor grunted and they were lifted about an inch or two higher. It was enough. She pushed on it with all her might as sweat began to trickle down the nape of her neck. But even after so much pushing, the surface wouldn't budge. Giving up, her arms went limp and she began to lose her balance as she tipped backwards dangerously.

She flailed her arms and started to scream as gravity began pulling her toward the floor unforgivingly. Tony managed to grab her hand before she fell which only managed to bring him along with her and the two hit the floor side by side. They both groaned in pain.

"Are you alright? Are either of you hurt?" Thor asked worriedly, kneeling next to his fallen friends. Tania clenched her teeth and held her breath. Her chest seized as if she was sobbing. Taking notice, Tony rolled over so that he was on his stomach.

"Tania?" he looked her over for injuries and settled on her wrist that was twisted at a really weird angle. He winced. "That doesn't look fun."

"You think?!" she snapped, glaring at him through the stray tears that fell down her face. Her entire body was rigid and her hand was as still as could possibly be. Carefully, ever so carefully, she lifted it and bit down on her lip to prevent from crying out. It stung like a thousand wasps at once and in the dim lighting it looked even worse. She moved to touch it but hesitated, deciding that it wasn't worth it and eventually just holding it up in the air and crying.

It was like that for several minutes, with her lying on her back with one arm in the air and the two men sitting around unsure of what to do. Lucky –or maybe not so lucky – for them, a doctor came by not too much later. That doctor happened to be accompanied by a personal assistant; just not his personal assistant.

"Bruce! Pepper!" Tony exclaimed, pushing himself to his feet and rushing over to the two people who had fallen from the ceiling which was now blood red and swirling like a whirlpool. They landed with simultaneous "Oof!"s as the portal disappeared.

"Tony!" Pepper cried and the two lovers embraced. As they exchanged worried questions about the others' health as well as criticisms for letting the other get captured, Thor spoke up. "Although I am most glad to see that you are all alive and well, I regret to bring to attention the injury of the Lady Tania."

Every head swiveled to the brunette lying on the floor; eyes tightly shut and hand randomly in the air. Her breathing was rhythmic but shallow. Her hair was a mess and her face displayed some of the pain she felt.

Pepper gasped. "Tania!" she fell to the ground next to her friend and grabbed the woman's other hand in a sign of comfort. "Tania! Can you hear me?"

Steve's potential love interest groaned and turned her head to face the female CEO. "Yeah… you okay?"

"I-I'm fine, just- God, what happened?"

"I fell." She grimaced, "Hey Bruce? Think you could take a look at my wrist?"

Bruce nodded and sat down next to her to inspect her hand, obviously in a small state of shock. "Okay, I need you to tell me if this hurts."

Very gently, he poked her finger. She winced. "No."

"Liar." He poked it again.

"Ow! Okay, fine, it hurt."

After some more inspection, Bruce finally came to a conclusion. "Well, it's definitely broken. The best thing you can do is not to move your fingers or wrist until we can get real medical help." He shrugged sadly, "Bending your elbow shouldn't jostle it too much. You've already held your forearm in this position for so long that it's become stiff. Just don't wiggle your fingers or anything like that. After a while the pain will start to seem distant, like it's going away. It's not, you will just have gotten used to it is all."

Tania nodded. "I think it's already in effect. I don't feel like crying anymore."

Bruce nodded. "Then it shouldn't be long before you can ignore the pain almost completely." With that said, he looked around the cell at each face. "Is there anyone else who needs medical attention?"

Everyone shook their heads. "I don't need any of your doctor skills, but I'm curious as to how on Earth Neil-o Freak-Show over there managed to kidnap a giant green rage monster." Tony inquired.

Pepper and Bruce visibly shrank beneath everyone's gazes. "Um, well, he didn't."

"Say what now?"

"This was kind of… an unplanned accident, I guess you could say."

"Explain."

"Well, I guess it started when we were informed of Thor disappearance…"

_"Dr. Banner, Ms. Potts, you may wish to see this." JARVIS' voice interrupted. Bruce and Pepper looked up at the screen that popped up in front of the __doctor's face._

_Displayed on it, was video surveillance of the front entrance to Avengers Tower. Right outside the lobby, was Thor, warding away the paparazzi. Bruce smirked at the sight. "What is it Jarvis? What-?"_

_But then he fought with the spider – and lost. Pepper jumped to her feet and joined Bruce at the counter. They both stared, wide-eyed, at the God that had just been beaten by a tiny mechanical robot. After picking up their jaws from the floor, Bruce grabbed a comm and stuck it in his ear, handing one to Pepper as well._

_"This is Hulk, does anybody copy?"_

_"This is Hawkeye, I copy."_

_"This is Black Widow, I copy."_

_"This is… Rescue. I copy." Pepper bit her lip._

_"Rescue?" Clint questioned._

_"It was the first thing that came to mind!"_

_"Captain? You copy?" Clint continued. Silence. "Fuck."_

_"Cap's MIA. Tony, Thor, and Tania have all been taken and we're dropping like flies." Bruce confessed, flicking his hands across the groups of screens surrounding him and Pepper in the lab._

_"Shit. That's not good."_

_"I need you guys back here. We can't afford to lose anyone else at this point."_

_"What about Cap?"_

_"I have no way to track him. He's not wearing his comm and he's not carrying his cell phone. His bike is still in the garage and he left without a trace. We're going to have to meet up here and pray he comes back."_

_"Copy that. Hawkeye and Black Widow are on our way."_

_"Roger that." Bruce released his finger from his ear. "Pepper, you and I are going to the lobby." As he spoke, he began packing up the case that contained the RAM and scrambled to close all the screens. "Once we collect the radiation from Thor's portal we'll have enough to create one of our own that will hopefully take us to them." He bolted for the elevator._

_Pepper followed. "Are we sure that's such a good idea Bruce? What if they're somewhere we can't help them? Or they're trapped and us going there is just going to get us all trapped?"_

_"That's why we're wearing comms. I'm going in and I'll contact you once I'm there with our location."_

_"But what about Clint and Natasha?"_

_"They're coming too."_

_"But you haven't even asked them!"_

_"As soon as they get here, they'll know. Or Jarvis will let them know"_

_"But Bruce-!"_

_"Pepper!" the doctor whirled on her just as the doors opened; the edges of his eyes were starting to turn green. "You have to trust me. This is the only way."_

_Eventually, the red head nodded and the two made their way towards the front doors which were smashed to pieces. At the sight of Mjolnir lying on the ground and Thor nowhere in sight, both of their eyes widened. Hundreds of people were gathering around the Tower, all curious enough to get too close but not stupid enough to actually touch any of the mess._

_Dozens of camera crews surrounded the location and flashed bright lights as Bruce and Pepper stepped through the smashed door. Ignoring them, Bruce planted the case on the ground and stepped back as it did its work._

_"Everyone down!" Pepper shouted just as the machine "exploded". All the civilians dove for cover as electricity sparked the air. In a mad scrambled of panic, the reporters and witnesses fled in all directions as the Avenger and CEO stood up to approach the RAM. Bruce knelt down and fiddled with the contraption, twisting this, turning that, sliding switches and levers, rearranging positions, pressing buttons and finally: hitting the big green button._ _The machine whirred loudly, growing in a crescendo as bolts of red lightning shot from the circle at the top in random sequence. There was a gargantuan tearing sound as something red ripped open the fabric of the space and time… or just a portal from nothing. A red vortex exploded like a tiny grenade and then suddenly, it flipped until it was horizontal. The swirling portal created wind that blew Pepper's hair into her face that she desperately clawed at to keep her eyes on the unknown variable before her._

_"Bruce!" she yelled, but he couldn't hear her over the ripping sound as well as the approaching quinjet that flew above and landed on the helicopter pad at the top of Avengers Tower. Pepper suddenly felt a tugging sensation on her blouse that felt like a vacuum. That force grew so strong that her feet began to slide against the pavement. "BRUCE!" she screamed as she fought not to be sucked into the portal._

_Bruce reached out to her, but it was too late. It had sucked her in with only the echo of her scream left. "NO!" Bruce jumped in after her without a second thought just as vortex began to shrink and closed in on itself._


	27. Chapter 27

**A.N. Hey y'all! So you guys are super lucky because I hit a writing streak and you get two updates in one day :P Hope you guys enjoy! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

"So Clint and Natasha are on their way?" Tania asked hopefully. Her face was dry and she wasn't hyperventilating anymore. The pain was still there though, a constant prick of needles in her wrist that was always on her mind.

Bruce held a hand to his ear, as did Pepper. "Let's check." He said, "This is Hulk, does anybody copy?"

Even from Tania's position on the floor, she could still hear the crackling static from Bruce's comm. And then it stopped; and the silence of the room permitted her to hear the response.

"This is Black Widow, I copy."

"This is Hawkeye, I copy."

Tania waited with bated breath and blind hope that Steve would be next to answer. She would give anything just to hear his voice again, to know that he was okay and to calm herself. But alas, his gorgeous voice never came.

"This is Rescue, I copy. Hulk and I are with the others, but we don't really know where we are." Pepper stated, looking around the room nervously.

"Is Cap with you?" Clint asked.

Bruce shook his head. "No. No one's seen him since last night."

A tense atmosphere dropped onto the group. Natasha broke it. "We've just arrived at the Tower. What do we do?"

"Okay, there's a contraption that should be lying outside the front doors of the lobby surrounded by shattered glass. You two need to-"

SHING! All five prisoners' heads swiveled to the criss-crossing bars that had suddenly and loudly retracted within a second. Everyone stared at it in disbelief, hardly daring to fall for a potential trap.

"Hul-? Crrrrrrrrrr- cue?" Clint called through the ever growing static.

"Hawkeye! Black Widow!" Pepper tapped her comm a couple times but all she could hear was static. "Does anybody copy? Repeat, does anybody copy?"

"Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr- BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEP!"

Pepper and Bruce cried out and threw their comms out of their ears, smashing the technology to pieces. "What the hell?"

"Forget it! Let's just go!" Tony grabbed their elbows and tugged them to their feet while Thor helped Tania to stand. The group ran out the exit and down the hallway. Tony knew the way better than the others, seeing as he had been the only one to be dragged through it while conscious. They followed the inventor through twisting hallways and up some stairs and then… down some stairs, and through some more hallways…

After running for several minutes, they finally stopped in a random corridor, panting. "Okay, this wasn't here before." Tony stated. "We're lost."  
"Well what do we do?" Pepper asked.

"I believe I can answer that." Came a somewhat familiar voice from all around. Everyone faced different directions, trying to determine the source of the sound. They formed a circle, each facing outward to protect each other's backs. Neil's voice rang out yet again in a chuckle. "Follow the blinking green arrows until you find me. And when you do," he laughed darkly, "let's just say that you will all be put to the ultimate test."

There was the sound of a click before giant green flashing arrows made a path on the floor. Everyone stared at it incredulously. "Okay, this is the weirdest capture ever." Tony commented. The others nodded in agreement. "So… do we follow them?"

"What other choice do we have?" Bruce pointed out, "We can't keep wandering around aimlessly, he'll find us easy."

"Can't you bust us out of here?"

The doctor looked uneasy. "There's no telling what the Other Guy might do in a place like this. Believe it or not, he gets a little claustrophobic." He shrugged, "I'd rather we not use him until absolutely necessary."

"Bruce! This guy's crazy! You never know what he might do next!"

"Exactly. He might let us out, you never know."

"Seriously?" Tony deadpanned.

Tania, Pepper, and Thor all rolled their eyes. "Come on, let's go!" Tania ordered, clutching her forearm of the broken wrist extremely tightly. Everyone shuffled down the hallway, following the large trail for what seemed like an eternity, but what was only a few minutes in reality.  
When they reached what appeared to be an elevator door, they hesitated. What could be behind it? Would it be something good? Or maybe bad? There was only one way to find out…

"Wait!" Pepper shouted, arms outstretched. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open as if to say something else. She turned to Tony and held up what appeared to be a small car starter. Tony's jaw dropped.

"Give me that!" he lunged for it and pressed the button on it. Nothing happened.

"What is that?" Thor asked, staring at it curiously.

"It's a remote for my suit. It's calling it. I gave this to Pepper in case of an emergency. It's just the prototype though, I haven't perfected it yet."

"What needs perfecting?" Tania looked at it suspiciously. It was just a little black box with a grey button indented into it with a picture of the Iron Man mask drawn in white.

Tony didn't meet anyone's eyes. "The security protocols are completely offline until I get in there." He paused for a moment to let that sink in.

"So… anyone could put on the suit if they found it?" Bruce clarified.

Tony shook his head. "Only if they manage to get their hands on it, which I doubt, seeing as it's going the speed of sound – probably faster – to get here."

"So… should we wait for it?" Pepper asked.

"I don't know guys, something's telling me to go in there." Tania said, pressing her palm against the door. As soon as her skin made contact with the metal, it pulled back, revealing that it was not an elevator, but instead a large room with a hip-height counter framing the perimeter, on top of which were multi-coloured beakers full of chemicals that boiled and bubbled. The entire room was a metal-like colour if not metal itself. Fluorescent lights shone down on the four silver tables in the center of the room – on one of which, was strapped none other than Steve Rogers.

Tania blinked once before hurling herself forward. "Steve!" her voice was filled with the utmost emotion and relief as she ran to his side. He looked a little worse for wear, a cut lip, ruffled hair, messed up clothes, but then again, who there didn't look like that. At the sound of her voice, Steve had scrambled to crane his neck to see her. And then she was there, standing above him with tears in her eyes, dried blood caked on her neck and cheek, hair tangled, wrist facing the wrong way, and makeup smeared. But she was there, and she was smiling through her tears and she was alive.

"Tania!" he pulled and yanked at his restraints, desperate to throw his arms around her and never let go. His muscles rippled as he struggled, wrenching his body this way and that, but despite the super soldier serum running through his veins twenty four seven, he could not get free.  
That was when everyone else came into his view. That was also when the restraints from the other three tables shot out from their spots and grabbed Thor, Tony, and Bruce. It all happened so fast that one second, the three remaining super heroes were standing around the Captain, and then the next, they were strapped onto tables too.

Pepper and Tania had no time to react, as more straps shot towards them from the walls and dragged them backward, slamming them into the surface by their wrists and ankles. And thanks to Tania's broken wrist, the pain was agonizing and she screamed. She bit her lip halfway through though, not wanting to break anyone's eardrums. Steve looked at her helplessly and furiously at the same time; if that was even possible. They were trapped – and oh so royally screwed.

Only once they were all successfully detained, did the door open again, and Neil walked in with what he must consider "swagger". He was smiling gleefully. "Oh isn't this perfect!" he clapped his hands together and walked around the room, circling each person giddily. "All the Avengers in one place, under my control."

"We are not and never will be under your control." Steve growled, fists clenched. It was obvious he had had this conversation before, with the same man. How long had he been there? It made Tania's stomach churn to think about how Steve had gotten this way, strapped to a table and unable to get off.

Neil laughed. "Oh, but that's where you're wrong." He grabbed a pair of latex gloves from the counter and slapped them onto his hands. "See, the whole reason you're here, Captain," the rank was laced with venom and hate, "is so that I can… control you, I guess you could put it." He grabbed a syringe. "Now, I'm not going to take over your minds or anything – well, not on purpose at least. But as I said before, you are all my guinea pigs."

"Guinea pigs for what?" Tony asked, struggling to stand. He was evidently pissed off. His tower had taken even more damage, his girlfriend was currently chained to a wall, four of his friends were trapped with some psycho maniac, while the other two were in a building said maniac had threatened him with blowing up. Oh, and his suit was taking its sweet time getting there.

"Well, guess you'll just have to wait and see." Neil dipped the syringe into a yellow liquid and then a blue liquid. He placed his thumb on the tip and shook it vigorously. They needed to stall long enough for Tony's suit or even Thor's hammer to get there.

With this in mind, Tony spoke up again. "Why? Why use us as your lab rats?"

He smirked. "Because, Mr. Stark, you are all experiments. You, with your arc reactor," he tapped the circle of metal in Tony's chest with his knuckles as if rapping on a door, "Him, with his serum," he patted Steve's bicep, to which he only fought harder to be free, "Him… well, he's a God. How much fun would it be to see what he's made of, am I right?"

"Wrong!" Tony exclaimed, but Neil continued on as if no one had spoken.

"The girls, of course, were no such thing. They were accidents, in fact, I don't even know how the red head got here." He looked between her and Bruce before shrugging. "Eh, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. The other two, the assassins, they're nothing. They're human, they're… normal. They're not as interesting as you all. Or as interesting as THIS!" on the last word, he stabbed the needle into Bruce's arm viciously. Bruce howled and thrashed, his skin and eyes turning a sickly green.

Neil's eyes widened with wonder and he stepped back as he admired the creature with awe. Bruce's muscles started to grow in size, until eventually, they were too big to fit in those tiny restraints and they popped off like bottle caps. His body contorted and stumbled as his clothes were ripped to shreds from the transformation. He rolled over onto the floor, knocking the needle out of his arm and hiding his face beneath his arms. He shook violently and then exploded into a giant green rage monster. He stood up to his full height, just barely missing the ceiling and roared.

Tania, never having seen Bruce in Hulk form, was too shocked to move. The guy was humongous and- and- and green! But she could see parts of Bruce in his face and his hair, in his eyes. Still, there was an angry Hulk in a room with her and she was currently strapped to a wall with nowhere to go.

Neil clapped his hands repeatedly in joy. "Oh wonderful! Just wonderful!" he grabbed another full loaded needle from the counter as the Hulk brought his hands together and smashed the table he had just been strapped on. Neil ran at the Big Guy with the needle but was just slapped away easily. He was thrown to the other side of the room, smashing into several more beakers and spilling chemicals everywhere.

He got up and brushed himself off. "Well, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to start with him." That said, Neil full out fled from the room with his tail between his legs. Meanwhile, the Hulk was still angry at being stabbed and smashed through the wall adjacent to Tania and Pepper, causing bits of ceiling to crumble onto them.

"HULK!" Tony yelled, trying to get his attention. The Big Guy turned and grunted. "Hulk, listen, I need you to-"

He was interrupted by another ear-splitting roar. Tania was paralyzed with fear. Even if she weren't, she wouldn't be able to move anyway. She stared up at this large creature and had to keep reminding herself that inside, it was just Bruce, the shy doctor who had been so nice to her. And that was when she remembered the incident at the grocery store.

She opened her mouth to sing when the Hulk let loose another roar, but this one sounded different, like it was provoked. He turned around to face the wall he had just crushed, revealing an arrow between his shoulder blades. When the dust from the wall cleared, Clint was standing there, bow taut and aimed at the Big Guy.

"I don't want to do this to you buddy, but you gotta calm down." He coaxed, barely moving a muscle. Natasha somersaulted her way past him and landed next to Thor, unnoticed by the Hulk. She began fiddling with the straps.

"It is no use Lady Natasha, I have tried-"

"Hold on." She cut him off. She stepped back and removed her gun from its holster. She aimed it at the strap and fired without a second though, face blank. His wrist was free. Without hesitation, she shot his other restraints before moving on to Tony.

Clint and Hulk were still having that staring contest, and it was only when Hulk removed the arrow from his back and stared at it that he charged. He made a move for the archer but he was too quick and nimbly leaped out of the way, back into the room that had been smashed into. The Hulk followed him, anger seeping from his bones.

Natasha managed to free the others relatively easily, but as soon as everyone was able to move again, the elevator doors shot open to reveal Iron Man. Tony gaped. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SUIT!" he ordered, only to be shot by his own repulsors into the wall.

"Tony!" Pepper cried.

The billionaire coughed and stood up. "So that's what that feels like."

Neil laughed from inside the suit. "I can see why you built this Mr. Stark. It is most useful." He blasted more repulsor rays throughout the room at random, causing destruction and smoke to fill up the space.

Natasha was the first to get back on her feet, gun raised. "Step out of the suit Mr. Signe. Or we will be forced to take drastic action."

"Oh I'm counting on it." He fired at her but she ducked and rolled, hiding behind a table before bouncing up and shooting him back. The bullets bounced off him harmlessly, but that didn't mean he didn't jump in fright. "Oh, hey. I'm bulletproof. Like I said, very useful."

Steve ran and launched himself at the imposter in Tony's security disabled Iron Man suit, hoping to tackle the man, but even with his strength Neil only stumbled forward a bit. Steve was then grabbed and thrown into the wall opposite Tony.

Thor held out his hand just as Mjolnir exploded through the side wall and collided with his hand. He spun around, using his momentum to slam the hammer into Neil's chest, sending him flying backward into the door he had come from, denting its metal to look like a human had sat in aluminum foil. Neil shook his head and shot Thor in the legs, knocking him down so that he lay sprawled on the ground.

Noticing his distraction, Pepper took her chance and dove for his helmet. Without it, he would be at a great disadvantage. But Neil merely grabbed her arms just as she was about to remove the head and flipped her over, smashing her onto the ground.

"NO!" Tony screamed just as Tania shot out from her hiding spot with Natasha.

"Hey Neil!" she called, taunting him. "What kind of shot are you? None of us are down for the count yet!"

In response, Neil turned to her, only to be attacked by both Tony and Steve, who had their arms around his neck and waist. It looked silly really, especially since it was Tony's suit, but the image didn't last long, for Neil began to spin, faster and faster, until the two were forced off by centrifugal force. Steve landed just a few feet away from Tania while Tony was unlucky enough to ram into one of the tables and completely flip it over. He sat up, somewhat dizzy.

"The suit has an ejection button! If we can press it, then we can get him out of there!" he ducked just as more repulsors were fired and was soon joined by Thor and Pepper who had crawled over to find tables and covers of their own.

"Where is it?" Steve shouted over the noise, hiding with Tania and Natasha.

"It's only accessible from the inside!"

"Oh great! Real helpful information!" Steve snapped sarcastically.

Tony was about to make a witty retort when his and Pepper's table was blown into the air and the two of them were enveloped in smoke and wooden splinters. "TONY! PEPPER!"

When the smoke cleared, the two of them were lying on top of one another in a tangle of limbs, unconscious and slightly charred at the edges (mostly the hair). Steve rolls closer to them and ends up behind Thor's table. He reaches out and drags the two behind their meager cover and quickly checks their pulses.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "They're alive." He stared shaking them to try and wake them up.

"It won't work!" Natasha called out, occasionally popping out from behind the table to shoot the man in the suit. "He sleeps like a log and so does she, but only when they're together."

Suddenly, Thor and Steve's table is ripped away and they turn to face Neil who is holding it above his head. Before he can crush them with it, Thor tackles him to the ground and Natasha and Tania rush over to help Steve hide Tony and Pepper. But then Thor was thrown unceremoniously into Natasha and the two crashed into the pile of rubble that used to be a wall no thanks to the Hulk.

Steve grabbed Tania's not broken hand and pushed her behind him as they faced Neil, no cover, and no nothing. Suddenly, Clint appears out of nowhere and drops from the ceiling between the Iron Man suit and the remaining two people standing.

"Clint?" Tania exclaimed, "Where's Hulk?"

Clint held up three fingers, then put one down so that there were two, and then one. Right on cue, the Hulk re-entered the room from the makeshift doorway he had created earlier, panting and possibly even angrier than before.

"Hulk!" Tania called, speaking directly to him despite her incredible fear of dying, "Get him!" she pointed at Neil who was currently going at it with Clint. To her surprise, Hulk shook his head and then spoke.

"Bruce like metal man. Arrow man shoot Hulk. Hulk SMASH!" he took a menacing step towards the archer who had been knocked back towards Natasha and Thor who were just getting up.

"No! No, Bruce like Tony!" she pointed to the philanthropist lying on the floor with his girlfriend in the middle of such an epic battle, "Bad guy is NOT Tony! He stole Tony's suit and he's evil and wants to kill us!"

Hulk tilted his head, not quite understanding so many words. He sneered and roared, pounding the floor in front of him, causing the entire building to quake under the immense force. Tania held onto Steve tightly so as not to fall, and he didn't seem too keen on letting her go either.

Hulk glared at the man in the suit who mumbled a small, "Oh shit." Before activating the boosters in his feet and hands and zooming out of there. The Hulk made no move to follow him, instead turning to Clint who had yet to stop aiming his bow. He and Natasha shared an indecipherable look before they grabbed Thor and bolted for the smashed wall.

"SPLIT UP!" they shouted before they completely disappeared along with the Hulk. Tania just barely managed to catch the comm Clint threw at her before his exit and quickly slipped it into her ear.

"Black Widow, do you copy?"

"This is Black Widow," she panted, out of breath, "I copy."

"Good. Steve and I are going to try and find an exit and take Tony and Pepper with us. If we find it we'll let you know."

"Copy that. We'll try to tire out the Big Guy, maybe lose him in this mansion. The place is huge, it's easy to get lost."

"Thanks for the memo. Good luck."

"You too."

Tania turned to Steve who threw his arms around her, squeezing her waist as if making sure she was substantial and real. "God, don't ever do that to me again."

She let out a soft breath and returned the hug, inhaling his scent. "I don't plan on it." The stood there for a good minute or so before breaking apart. Even when they did, he caressed her cheek with one calloused hand and brought their foreheads together, seemingly unable to physically let her go.

"I…" he was interrupted by a groan from Tony. Steve and Tania turned to him and knelt down, checking their pulses and breathing, etc. Tony stirred, but didn't wake up. His hand fumbled for Pepper's and when he found it, he was immediately at ease.

"How are we going to carry them like this? They're like… intertwined." She pointed out, one hand still clasped in Steve's. Their eyes met.

"I'll carry the both of them." She opened her mouth to protest when he continued, "Besides, you couldn't carry one with that wrist you've got there." He nodded towards her broken bone and scowled at it, wishing he could just make it better. But he couldn't. He and Tania quickly worked to arrange it so that Tony was on Steve's back as if he were being given a piggy back ride and that Pepper was in the Captain's arms princess style, all the while the co-CEOs of SI were still holding hands.

"That's so cute." Tania commented, smiling at her two friends.

"Well, cute's not going to get us out of here." He hefted them both a little higher and then started for the door before turning to face the brunette behind him. "You coming?"

She stared at the man she loved with sparkling eyes, ignoring the pain in her wrist by plastering a real smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm coming."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N. Hey guys! So this one's a little short but I think you're REALLY going to like this one XD I know I do. So I hope you enjoy! :D**

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

With all that had happened in the past twenty four hours, Tania had been extremely overwhelmed, what with the confession she was about to make, the fight with the spider, the crash through the glass, the fall from the Tower, the emotional guilt of landing every Avenger in this horrible and confusing place – and then there was also breaking her wrist and finding Steve had also been captured by a deranged evil genius. What had her life come to?

She'd known that living with six superheroes wouldn't give her the most normal of lives, but she hadn't prepared herself for the enormity of such consequences. Would they even make it out of this freaky mansion? She hadn't really considered the possibility of death until that point, instead choosing to think about ways of escape. But now, walking beside Steve (who was carrying Tony and Pepper without complaint) she had no idea how they were going to get out of there, especially with a mad scientist flying around in an Iron Man suit, a rampaging Hulk, two master assassins, and a thunder God somewhere in the same building as them, all running around like rats in a maze.

Walking around aimlessly in her giant prison, she decided that she needed conversation. "So Steve, how did you get here?" she asked, at a loss for what to say.

He didn't answer at first, leading her to believe that he hadn't heard her. But then he spoke kind of quietly. "I got caught." He replied simply. She was about to ask him if he wanted to elaborate when he continued. "I was headed for SHIELD. I wanted to recruit them to help find you. I was so upset that I… I didn't bother with my bike. I ran there. I needed to clear my mind."

"Where exactly is… there?"

He looked at her. "The SHIELD headquarters. It's a place called the hellicarrier. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to talk about it…"

She waved it off. "No, no, it's fine. Anyway, so you ran to this… hellicarrier?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I did. I spoke to the Director and some of the agents but none of them would help me. They deal with matters of national security, that sort of thing. So a kidnapping isn't really a threat to them. It's New York, it apparently happens all the time." He frowned. "I didn't really know what else to do. I had no idea where you'd gone and I had no means of communication on me. So I did the only thing I could. I searched for you. I snuck around he hellicarrier, trying to find some sort of computer or tracking device or… I don't know, anything, to help me find you. I looked for hours and I asked agent after agent for help, but none of them wanted to disobey the Director.

"After that, I started listing off possible enemies of mine that could have taken you. I don't really have any unless you count HYDRA, but I didn't think it was them. It just didn't seem like their… style, I guess you could say. I thought about all the different people that could've stolen you from me, I even considered the return of Loki, and that thought scared me more than anything." He stared at her with beautiful blue eyes that shone with unshed tears and that look nearly broke Tania's heart. "He could've taken you to a whole 'nother realm and I would have no way of following him, of saving you. That man is awful and… and evil. He… he could've done… anything to you. And I would have been millions and millions of miles away on another planet, unable to stop it." He hung his head a bit, staring at the red carpeted floor they walked on, unable to see his feet thanks to the fact that he was carrying an unconscious Pepper.

Tania placed a hand on his bicep. "Steve, I'm okay. I mean, I've got a broken wrist but that was totally an accident and could have happened to me at any point in time. Loki is in Asgard prison or whatever and you and I are together. That's all that matters."

"But what if-"

"There is no what if. There is only you and me. And them. But they don't really count because they're not awake." He chuckled in response. "So, you left SHIELD, and then…?"

"I know this sounds really… old fashioned, but I went around asking people if they'd seen you. I mostly asked the people lingering around the Tower. They said you'd disappeared into the portal and that Thor, Bruce, and Pepper had all disappeared into similar ones. When I heard that, I ran over to investigate only to find some sort of metallic contraption lying among some shattered glass. That, and the mechanical spider that took you.

"I attacked it first and I managed to get in several hits before it spun some sort of web at me that distracted me enough for it to make yet another portal and shove me in. I fell onto that table that you saw before and couldn't get back up. Not long after, Neil showed up. He taunted me with threats to your safety and everyone else's, told me it would be my fault that any of them were hurt."

"Steve, it was in no way your fault-"

"I'm supposed to be the leader, Tania! Everything rides on me."

"No, you guys are a team. And a darn good one. And as a team, you can all share the guilt equally."

He gave a bitter laugh. "I guess."

"That's the spirit!"

"So what happened to you?"

Tania filled him in on her time in the prison cell, as well as being joined by Tony, Thor, Bruce, and Pepper and even gave their stories as to how they got there. She told him about their numerous attempts at escape (fine, only two… maybe three) and how she'd broken her wrist. She assured him that she could basically ignore the pain as long as she had something else to focus on, which she did: him.

He blushed at that. It was kind of an odd sight. THE Captain America who was in full-out battle/war mode, was blushing. She thought that it only added to his handsomeness. After walking for quite a while, she decided to check in on Natasha and the others.

"Black Widow, do you copy?"

"I copy."

"How are things on your end?"

"We lost him."

"What?! Lost who?"

She hesitated before answering. "The Hulk."

"How do you lose a Hulk?"

"I'm not really sure, but we did. He's somewhere in this mansion, I just don't know where."

"Is everyone else with you?"

"Yeah, they're both here. You?"

"We're all here. Any sign of Neil?"

"Not since he left."

"He could be anywhere. He knows this place a hell of a lot better than we do."

"You got that right?"

"Hey Nat- I mean, Black Widow?"

There was a pause. "Yeah?"

"How are the comms working? When we were in the cell, the comms emitted a really loud beeping sound and then stopped working."

"In case you didn't notice, there's no beeping going on right now."

"Oh, duh. Of course."

She chuckled. "Any luck finding an exit?"

Tania shook her head despite the fact that Natasha couldn't see her. "No. We're totally lost. You?"

"Same. Though I've committed our path to memory, what we've already explored doesn't really help us much."

"Yeah, just how big is this place anyway?"

"I have no idea. I didn't get to look at it from the outside."

"What do you mean?"

"After Hulk and Rescue were cut off, Hawkeye and I landed the quinjet and made our way to the ground where we found the portal making machine. It took some random tinkering but we took it inside and got it to work. We were able to send the location of the mansion to SHIELD before jumping into the portal together. We ended up in that cell I think. We followed the green arrows and circled the room to start with our plan of attack."

"Wow, you guys really came to our rescue, huh?"

"I wouldn't thank us yet, anything could happen."

"Right."

Steve suddenly stopped moving. "Tania!"

She turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"Look!" he nodded in the direction of an armoire. Tania stared at it with a confused look on her face. Steve gently set Pepper and Tony down on the ground and then braced both hands on the dresser only to fall through it like a hologram.

"Uh, I'm gonna have to call you back." She told Natasha before removing her finger from her ear and rushing over to him. He sat back away from the hologram holding his shield. "Woah…" she stared at it in awe and reached out to touch it. It was perfectly circular with red and white stripes surrounding a blue circle with a star in the middle. It was perfectly symmetrical and about the size of Tania's torso. It was made of some sort of metal and very shiny. She ran her fingers along the edge: sharp. It also felt very heavy.

She looked up at Steve who was grinning at such a familiar piece with a hint of pride. He slipped his arm in the straps on the back and stood up. "Fits like a glove." He commented, stretching and clenching his fingers.

"How did that get here?" Tania asked, not remembering him mentioning his shield anywhere in his flashback.

He shrugged. "I grabbed it before leaving the Tower. It was on me at all times until I fell through the portal and I lost it somehow. I guess Neil hid it here. Oh well. Could you please carry it for me?" he removed his arm from the shield and held it out to her.

Her eyes widened. "Really? I get to hold Captain America's shield… Oh my God, Graham would die if he got this chance." She gently took it from Steve's hands, almost dropping it when he let go. "Holy crap this is heavy! How on Earth do you lug this around with you on missions?" she struggled to slip it onto her good arm.

Steve chuckled. "Super serum." He answered simply. Neither person noticed it at first, but it the room was starting to shake. It was the vibrating shield that eventually gave it away.

"Uh, Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is your shield vibrating?"

Steve's eyes widened just as the shaking increased exponentially and the entire room began to shake violently. It almost felt like… giant footsteps. Tania's head snapped up to meet Steve's worried gaze. "It's the Hulk!" she shouted, barely audible over the quaking of the mansion. Bits and pieces from the ceiling began to fall on them and they quickly dove for Tony and Pepper, but they weren't fast enough, for the Hulk's left foot slammed into the floor right behind them, causing the wooden floor to split in half all the way down the hall they had just entered. They both tripped and face planted on the floor.

And then Bruce's giant green form crashed through the doorway that was too small to accommodate him. Steve and Tania turned to face him, realizing that running was only futile. He would catch them easily.

"Easy there big guy, no need to get angry…" Tania soothed, taking a tentative step forward and slowly standing.

"What are you doing?!" Steve asked through clenched teeth. "He could pulverize you in a second!"

"I know that!" she shot back. She turned back to the Hulk who was panting and glaring at them, unsure which to attack first. "Hulk!" his eyes fell on her and she gulped nervously. "Remember me? I'm friends with Bruce, I live in the Tower too. Remember at the grocery store, when you wanted to come out, but I sang to you?"

The Hulk grunted and took a menacing step forward, to which she took two steps back. Hulk sneered before launching himself forward. Tania screamed and before she knew what she was doing, she used all her strength and threw the shield at him. It bounced off harmlessly but it did get him to pause long enough for her to go get it.

"Tania!" Steve called out.

"I'm coming!" she slipped it onto her arm and bolted for the Captain. As soon as she was within reaching distance, he grabbed her hand and ran down the corridor. "Wait! What about-?"

"We'll lead him away from them and then call Natasha to pick them up."

With that said and done, Tania could barely keep up with him he was going so fast. Any faster and her feet wouldn't even need to touch the ground. She stumbled often but he kept his grip on her firm and she did her best to keep up. The Hulk roared and tore after them, his arms destroying the walls on either side of him as he ran, swinging them forward and backward.

Tania and Steve made a sharp turn to the right and entered what appeared to be a living room. The kept going, sneaking out the door on the other side of the room. It was like ever room had four doors, and all of their dimensions were exactly the same. It was confusing to say the least.

Tania's heart hammered at her chest so hard she thought it would explode out of her and then kill her on the spot – luckily that didn't happen. What did happen, was that she spotted a door that looked different than any of the others she had seen before. Trusting her gut, she yanked him in that direction hard enough to get his attention. They had just enough to time to throw it open before the Hulk made his entrance in the room behind them.

Tania slammed the door shut and turned to face forward again, ready to run, only to be pulled back by Steve. At the sight of what was in front her, she gasped. They were in what appeared to be the inside of a very tall silo that was almost pitch black Wooden rickety stairs circled the circumference of the tower upwards into blackness. With no choice but to go up, Tania and Steve ran for the stairs to their right.

When they were about a dozen steps up, the Hulk broke through the entrance they had just come from, sending splinters and dust flying. Tania coughed and squinted her eyes to try and see in front of her, when suddenly Steve spun her around and pressed her against the wall rather forcefully. He shielded a very confused brunette and wrapped both of his arms around her, cradling her head to his shoulder just a loud roar echoed throughout the tower.

A giant green blur flew by Tania's vision over Steve's shoulder and then a harsh gust of wind blew her hair out of her face and gushed against her and she buried her face in his neck. And then suddenly the entire silo/tower thing was filled with light and she blinked. She looked up. There was a giant, Hulk-sized hole in the roof revealing the midday sun directly above them. He must have jumped a little too high and destroyed the inside half of the stairs on his way up.

Panting from the adrenaline rush, she wrapped her arms around Steve's back to feel that his shirt was rather torn from the Hulk grazing him as he flew by and that his feet were only about an inch away from the space where they could both fall. He hadn't moved since he took his protective stance over her and she was starting to worry. His grip on her was gentle yet firm, and she knew that if she tried to get out while his muscles were locked she would be no match.

She softly stroked his hair. "Steve?" she whispered, heart still pounding, though she wasn't sure it was from the close call anymore. "Steve?" she said again.

He slowly pulled back, but only so much so that his face was but an inch from hers, their noses brushing against each other and her bangs creating a small curtain between them. Their breaths intermingled and sped up. In this intimate position, after almost losing each other, with Tania's words on the footage playing over and over in his mind, they leaned closer… and closer…

And then she couldn't stand it anymore and pulled on his hair to yank him forward and crash her lips onto his. At the exact same time, somewhere else in the mansion, an explosion went off. As their lips moved together in harmony, orange embers fell slowly from the sky like floating fireflies dancing in the air. With the caress of an angel, Steve cupped her cheek with one hand let the other rest on her waist, not bothering to care that little pieces of fire were harmlessly landing on him and her, disappearing as soon as they made contact with anything. With burning desire and passion, Tania, Steve, and the embers, all shone more brightly than ever before.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N. Hey guys! I absolutely HAD to get this chapter out to you. It's a lengthy one :D So, I came across some shocking news yesterday, I was re-reading one of my fav fanfics and I realized that to my horror, there were many parallels to that story and mine, and I read theirs before starting mine, so I feel super guilty :S I did not mean to steal anyone's ideas and if you see anything that has any similarity to anything else you've seen I meant no plagorism or stealing or anything and I'm really sorry if I did by accident :( Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this one, :D the story's coming to an end soon. Oh well, closer to the sequel I guess :P Also, ONE HUNDRED FREAKING REVIEWS! OMG I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you so much for your support and every email I get is a self-esteem boost no matter my mood XD Thank you once again and a special shout out to Lollypops101 to being my 100th reviewer! Now go read! XD ... please?**

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

When they eventually parted, breathing deep and minds almost completely empty, their eyes slowly fluttered open. They stood there for a few seconds, just staring into each other's eyes, before spotting the last of the remaining embers. Tania's eyes widened.

"Oh my God, what happened?!"

Steve craned his neck to see behind him and then whipped back around. "Call Natasha." He ordered not unkindly.

Tania pressed a finger to the comms unit in her ear. "Black Widow, can you hear me? Do you copy?"

There was a deafening silence on the other end. Seconds ticked by and both people blanched. But then there was a cough (multiple coughs, actually) and a voice. "This is…" cough, "Black Widow." Cough, "I copy."

Tania and Steve both let out breaths of relief. "Oh thank God. Nat, what happened over there?"

She coughed again. "Hawkeye tried to blow us out of here."

"Oh… and did it work?"

"I don't know. I'll let the smoke clear and then call you back."

"Is everyone else alright?"

"One sec. Clint? Thor?" There was a pause. "Yeah, we're a little smoky but we're okay."

"Good." Tania looked up at the sun with squinted eyes, "Steve and I found the Hulk. He's on the roof… I think. We had to leave Tony and Pepper behind in order to make a run for it. No sign of Neil but I'm going to try to subdue Bruce."

Steve stared at her in shock, mouth open. He didn't get the chance to say anything before Natasha responded. "Banks, that's crazy! Wait for us. I think I see an exit, we'll meet you up there."

"Sorry Natasha, but the longer we wait, the more Bruce could destroy and the farther away he could be."

"Wait! Tania-!"

She quickly turned off the comm. There was an awkward silence between her and the Captain and she cleared her throat as a blush started to heat her cheeks. "Um, Steve?"

He blinked. Then he realized the position they were in – bodies pressed together with her against the wall – and proceeded to turn red as well. He braced his right hand against the wall beside her head and pushed off of it to swing himself to his left, pivoting on his left leg. He thumped against the wall next to Tania. "Sorry." He whispered.

"Don't be." She replied easily. She didn't know if he was talking about the position or the kiss, but either way she meant it. She nodded her head at him, gesturing for him to move forward and edge his way up what remained of the stairwell.

He searched her eyes for something, but what that was she didn't know. Regret maybe? If so, he wouldn't find it. Not ever. She wanted to bring it up, she wanted to talk to him about it and ask him out and all, but now wasn't the time. They needed to get to the top to stop the Hulk and then come back for the sleeping couple in the abandoned and destroyed hallway.

Steve then turned his head and began creeping along the wall of the cylinder with Tania close behind. It was rather quiet, what with them both being clueless as to where they went from here. They just wanted to get out of there alive and then discuss it later; that would be ideal. But with the knowledge that they had just kissed hanging heavily in the air, the awkwardness and tension was at a steady rate like a heart monitor of a healthy person just waiting for a heart attack.

They slowly inched their way up the winding tower in complete and utter silence, with only the occasional grunts and thuds of the Hulk moving above as background noise. When they were about halfway up, the wooden staircase creaked beneath their weight and Steve (being heavier and having gone first) managed to step on a weak step. His foot completely fell through and he tumbled forward with a little "Ah!".

Tania panicked and reached for him, clutching at the back of his shirt and pulling with all her might to get him back on track. With a few flails and circles of his arms, Steve got himself back on his feet by jumping over the hole he had just made. He took two steps more before turning and facing the woman he had just kissed a few minutes ago.

"You're gonna have to jump." He told her, the tiniest bit of worry starting to lace his voice as he held his hand out to her for her to grab.

The hole honestly wasn't that big, just about three steps. Still, Tania gulped nervously and looked down. Her recently acquired fear of heights had in no way gone away and they were quite high off the ground. She swallowed thickly and looked back at Steve, staring into his deep blue eyes that reassured her he wasn't going to let her fall, not on his life. Despite those words never having been spoken, she knew she could trust him with everything she had and that he wouldn't ever let her down. Taking a deep breath to calm her speeding heart, she rocked back on her heels and then took a leap of faith.

There was that split second where she was flying, and in that moment she was reminded of when she had crashed through the glass and desperately tried to find her balance only to lose her momentum and free fall, but then just like that it was over, and Steve's hand was in hers and both her feet were on rickety wood yet again.

She looked up at him and her face broke into a giant grin. "I did it."

He smiled back, pride evident in his eyes. "You did."

Now that the silence had been broken, she didn't want it to stop. She bit her lip even as she ushered him to keep moving forward. It had only been about five minutes (ten at most), but the silence had been killing her. "I need you to promise me something."

"Anything." He answered without hesitation. She couldn't help but feel reassured at that and felt extremely content.

"We're going to talk about this when we get home."

He shot her a glance from the corner of his eyes as he tiptoed forward. "No." he shook his head, shocking her to her very core, but then he made it better with what he said next, "We'll discuss it at our coffee shop."

She somehow stood straighter and beamed. "I like the sound of that. Our coffee shop."

"Me too."

She thought for a minute. "What was it called anyway?"

He paused. "I don't know."

She laughed. "Me neither. But I guess it doesn't really matter. It will always be out coffee shop to me."

"Same here." She couldn't see his face, but she was pretty sure he was smiling.

And then just like that, the two were of them were conversing as if they weren't prisoners in some mad scientist's crazy labyrinth on their way to sing in Latin to a rampaging Hulk after having kissed in a silo while their friends had blown up – well okay, their friends hadn't actually blown up, but it was pretty darn close. They spoke back and forth, with Steve occasionally saying something that was just so awkward and cute that Tania didn't even care that he "wasn't good with women", he was good with her; he was good for her. And she loved him for it.

The awkwardness had gone, and with it the silence. And before she knew it they had reached the top. Steve grabbed the ledge of the roof and leapt over it easily. Tania would have done the same easily had it not been for her broken wrist. Her future boyfriend (hopefully, though it was almost guaranteed now) was only gone for a second before popping his head back over the hole in the roof (what roof?), blocking the sun from Tania's eyes and creating a little halo around his head as he stared down at her.

It was so incredibly cheesy. Normally she would gag at that sort of thing in movies or soap operas and things, but when it was happening to her… her stomach filled with butterflies that fluttered their wings, batting at her insides as if encouraging her to "go for it". Steve held out his hand to her yet again to help her up and she decided to follow her imaginary butterflies' orders and handed him his shield before grabbing his hand, loving the way it almost totally encompassed her own but was strong and fit with hers like two halves of a whole.

With an almost inaudible grunt, he pulled her up, but as soon as she was within reach, she gave him a quick peck on the lips before using her other hand to pull herself the rest of the way while Steve was in shock. She giggled, her lips still hot from that one electricity filled kiss.

The sound of repulsors firing and beasts stomping and roaring had them both spinning around to find the source(s). A little ways further down the gigantic mansion, were Hulk and Neil, fighting to what appeared to be the death. Neil was still in his Iron Man suit and definitely putting it to good use as he flew around Hulk's head and fired repulsors at him repeatedly.

Hulk was swatting at him like a very annoying mosquito and getting in quite a few hits, but Neil had yet to come down. One particularly hard swat did send him flying towards Steve and Tania, and he hit the roof rather harshly, rolling and bouncing and eventually landing at their feet. He looked up at them, face hidden behind Iron Man's mask.

"Well if it isn't the Captain and his little girlfriend."

Tania and Steve shared a brief look at the word "girlfriend": neither seemed to mind, in fact, they both rather enjoyed such terminology. Now wasn't the time to mention as such though.

"Well if it isn't the experimental scientist who's completely INSANE!" Tania shot back, a scowl pulling at her lips as she stared at the man who had kidnapped everyone she loved (except Graham, but he didn't need to be involved in this little mess).

Neil rolled over and stood up, the suit whirring with each joint movement. "You've got a mouth on you. Oh well, not for long." He raised a gloved arm at them, his palm glowing a bright blue.

On instinct, Steve wrapped one arm around Tania's shoulders and brought his shield in front of them quick as a whip. The beam blasted off of the vibranium like a mirror, barely even shaking it, and managed to hit the Hulk, who began swinging at it as if to smash something intangible.

When Neil stopped firing, Steve immediately knocked his shield against Iron Man's faceplate, disorienting him long enough for the Captain to jab the edge of his weapon in the back of the suit's knees, making him crumble to the ground once again. Steve dove for the head with all intentions of ripping it off like a doll, only to have a pair of thrusters barreled into his stomach and flipping him over.

Tania didn't want to leave Steve, but she knew she wouldn't be of much use in this battle, and instead made a beeline for the Hulk, who was currently ripping apart the roof they were standing on that threatened to cave in should he continue to do so. Plus, she knew Steve could take care of himself, and she'd be lying if watching him battle in full Captain America mode wasn't sexy as hell.

Pushing those thoughts away, she stopped in front of Bruce's alter ago and stared up at him, not as afraid as she was when she first saw him transform. "Hulk!" she called out, both hands circling her mouth in the hopes of carrying her voice higher. It seemed to work, because the giant green creature grunted and looked at her with vibrant eyes. "It's me! It's Tania! Tania Banks. I'm going to sing to you, okay?" she didn't wait for an answer and opened her mouth when-

"Tania! Steve!" she whirled around to see Thor swinging his hammer and landing safely on the roof as well as Clint and Natasha flipping in the air as if recovering from a bungee jump and rolling on the roof into crouches like professional gymnasts ready to shoot if necessary. They were all covered in soot and apparently very angry.

The two assassins were aiming their weapons at the Hulk while Thor went to help Steve battle the thief in Tony's suit. Tania began frantically waving her hands back and forth at the SHIELD agents. "No! No wait s-!"

The Hulk roared behind her and jumped about twenty feet in the air directly over Tania's head before essentially bringing his fist down on Clint and Natasha's last positions, but they had both rolled in opposite directions to avoid the hit. The entire building shook with violent tremors and everyone struggled to remain on their feet.

Clint fired an arrow at the Hulk, who batted it away with his forearm and charged for the archer. Hawkeye back flipped off the roof and Tania immediately sped for the ledge when an arrow lodged itself where she was about to put her hands and she squeaked, stopping mid-step. The arrow was attached to another bungee cord and Clint swung buck up with ease and detached the string before landing in the Hulk's back.

"No! No stop!" Tania tried to warn him, but he ignored her and grabbed another arrow from his quiver – this one had a small tank of brown fluid near the tip and her eyes widened. "Wait! I can-!"

Clint raised his arm to stab the Hulk's neck, obvious hesitancy on his face, when the green beast yelled and threw him off, sending him hurtling into Natasha. Tania rushed over to the two of them and knelt down.

"Are you guys alright?" they both untangled themselves and stood up, sporting a couple scratches and bruises but nothing more.

Clint and Natasha nodded in sync. "We're good." He replied, eyes never leaving the big green mass on the roof.

"You guys need to listen to reason. I can calm down the Hulk! I can-"

"Lookout!" Clint tackled her to the ground just as the creature took a powerful swing at them, barely missing Natasha who raised her arm towards him, her hand in a fist. The bullet bracelet around her wrist began glowing blue before each one was shot and rotated one after another, knocking the Hulk a good two feet backward with each hit. He was almost at the edge when she ran out of bullets and switched arms.

Tania wrestled Clint off of her only to have him wrap her in a bear hug from behind to prevent her arms from moving and herself from getting any closer. "Let go of me!" she commanded in frustration. No one was listening to her and frankly, it was pissing her off. She wriggled and struggled but Clint had very strong arms from pulling his bow so tight all the time and was just strong enough to keep her at bay.

"You need to stay out of this Tania, this isn't your fight." He tried to convince her. He only managed to receive a glare in response.

"This is just as much my fight as it is yours! I was captured first! I was in prison the longest! I have a broken bone! The spider got in through my purse! He hurt my friends!"

"All of that may be true but you are not an Avenger!" She knew that he meant she didn't have any super powers or special skills, she knew that meant that she wasn't an official part of the team just like Pepper, she knew that meant that she didn't have a costume or an alter ego or a code name or spy training or had ever killed a person; yet those words stung like bees to her heart far more than she could explain. It only fueled her more.

She stomped on his toes as hard as she could and then whacked the back of her head against his chin, causing him to stumble back a bit. It wasn't enough. She swung her leg backward and kicked him in the shins and then grabbed his interlaced fingers and wrenched them apart. She hated that she was hurting him, even if it wasn't that bad, but it had to be done. As soon as she was free, she launched herself at the Hulk and stood in front of him, blocking any ammo aimed at him – okay, she wasn't that tall, but her point still stood.

Natasha and Clint were staring at her, dumbfounded, both having ceased firing. She glared at them as the wind swept her hair astray, the gunshots still echoing in her ears. Even with her back to the most unpredictable creature in the world, she knew Bruce was deep inside and wouldn't have the heart to kill her, not when she wasn't a threat. The others, they were attacking him threatening him, making him mad. So he retaliated. But she wasn't. And so far, the Hulk had yet to touch her. Of course, it was just a theory, but she always trusted her gut – always.

At that exact moment, Tony and Pepper decided to drop in and say hi. They emerged from the tower, slightly burnt and charred at the edges, but otherwise it appeared they were fine. Steve took notice first.

"Pepper! Tony! You're-!"

"Alive and well?" he interrupted cheekily.

"IN THE WAY!" Steve threw his shield vertically at just the right moment so that it blocked the repulsor beam being shot at them by Neil before making a U-turn and flying back into its owners hands.

"Oh, right." Tony and Pepper joined in the fight with Thor, Steve, and Neil while Tania held her ground, silently watching them out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh great, the whole gang's here." She muttered under her breath. Don't get her wrong, she was glad that Tony and Pepper were okay, they just had really bad timing. Well, they weren't the only ones, considering she had been kissing Steve just minutes before.

Right, back to the present. "Tania. Step away from the Hulk." Natasha ordered, voice wavering slightly. Her gun was aimed directly at the Hulk, and because the brunette was currently in the way, it was pointing at her chest.

She shook her head despite her extreme uneasiness at being aimed at with a fully loaded gun. "Not gonna happen. I know how to calm him down and you have to give me a chance before doing anything drastic. Promise me that, and I'll move."

Natasha and Clint shared a glance that seemed to say both a million things and nothing. The sounds of metal hitting metal, repulsors firing, jets blasting, and Tony's cursing made for dramatic background noise to the suspense as she waited for an answer. It was eventually Clint who replied.  
"Fine. One chance. One minute. Go."

She nodded wordlessly and turned around to face the Hulk, who was just kind of standing there, unsure of what to smash now that nothing was attacking him. His eyes then found hers and she stared into their depths with minimal fear. She knew she was going to look really stupid singing in a language she didn't understand with absolutely no practice, but if it worked, it would totally be worth it.

"Benedictus… qui venit… inomine… domini… Hosanna… hosanna… hosanna… in excelsis…" her voice carried over to the other battle, where Steve was momentarily distracted by her voice and his gaze flitted over to his potential girlfriend singing what sounded like a lullaby to a giant. It was that split second he wasted that Neil decided to take a hit.

Luckily Thor had his back and managed to hit the guy's arm with his hammer, effectively causing him to misfire and shoot a flare into the sky. Steve came back down to reality and threw a well-aimed punch to Neil's neck, a somewhat vulnerable spot to his super strength.

Tania sang the verses over and over again, considering they made up the whole song and the Hulk had yet to revert back yet. Though he did seem to be calming down some. His eyelids were fluttering and he was rocking back and forth dangerously close to the ledge. And then he fell backward.

"BRUCE!" she threw her top half over the edge and grabbed the now human form of the Hulk's hand, leaning dangerously over the several stories. Seeing as she was facing down, she had no choice but to look, and her heart rate increased exponentially. It was a very far drop. Not as far as Stark Tower, but still pretty far.

Bruce was asleep – and buck naked – and swinging from her arm. Despite her self-defense workouts with Natasha and her power shopping trips with Pepper, she couldn't hold him for very long and she felt him slipping through her fingers.

But then Clint's familiar arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back, and she felt the graze of Natasha's fingertips as the redhead did the same to Clint and together, the three of them tugged Bruce back onto the roof. Everyone sighed in relief.

But the battle was far from over. A few meters away. Steve, Thor, Pepper, and Tony were having a hard time defeating Neil seeing as Tony was without his suit, Pepper was without her pepper spray, Thor's lightning only gave Neil more power, and Steve's shield didn't do much offensively in this specific case.

Tania wanted to join the battle, but she knew she couldn't bring much to the table, so she simply nodded at the two assassins and said "Go" before settling Bruce's head in her lap and avoiding staring at him at all costs. She had been lucky enough not to accidentally spot anything she didn't want to see as of yet, but the day was young, and she didn't want to take any chances. She continued to hum the choir sung to him as Clint and Natasha ran off to join the fight and tagged Pepper, who came over and sat down next to Tania.

The two women didn't exactly appreciate being the so-called "housewives" with nothing better to do than sit around and wait for their family to come back from the fighting and the hard work, but they also knew that they didn't necessarily want to be in the thick of the fight either, preferring to help from the sidelines.

They sat together wordlessly as Neil flew around in the suit and had a wrestling match with Thor in the sky. The two literally butted heads and then rebounded off, with Neil crashing against the roof yet again, making the suit's metal squeal and groan in the process.

"Watch the suit!" Tony cried, outraged at having to watch his own creation be destroyed at the hands of his friends for the greater good. He too wasn't doing much fighting, but he refused to go and sit with the girls (and Bruce) and not fight. It was his suit damn it and he was going to be the one to get it back.

The five heroes fought valiantly against their foe with little words to be said, only smashing and crunching and grunting as they collided. Pepper and Tania watched the battle with interest, their heads bouncing back and forth as if watching a Ping Pong match. It was kind of creepy, really.

At long last, something changed in strategy; except everyone wished it hadn't happened. Neil flew over to Steve and grabbed him by his throat. He then proceeded to fly out of reach of the others and over the edge of the roof so that the Captain was dangling over several stories. Tania's heart caught in her throat and she threw herself to her feet, practically shoving Bruce to Pepper and racing over to the ledge closest to the love of her live and the man she hated most.

"Surrender or he dies!" Neil threatened, holding Steve at arm's length as he swung uselessly at him, his hits not doing much damage to the metal suit. He was choking, and no one could do a thing about it.

"What do you want?!" Tania screamed at him, tears threatening to spill.

Neil chuckled. "It's simple really. I want to do my experiments on you. Haven't we been over this?" he cocked his head.

She knew the Avengers would never allow that. It only made her cry harder. "GIVE HIM BACK!" her voice was nothing but a shrill shriek.

"Or what?"

"Or THIS!" Clint shouted, shooting an arrow at Neil who easily caught it with his other hand.

"Ha! You suck-!" the arrow exploded, sending both men flying through the air.

"STEVE!" Tania cried. She had only just kissed him, she didn't want to lose him now! She couldn't! Not ever!

Just then, Thor dove off the roof like a professional diver giving his best performance at the Olympics and zoomed after a falling Steve, who had snapped his mouth shut to prevent from screaming. Thor wrapped one arm around his comrade's torso before pointing Mjolnir towards the heavens and coming to an abrupt halt that could give someone whiplash and shot them back up, landing safely on the roof.

He let go of his friend just as Tania threw her arms around him, almost knocking him over completely. "Oh my God don't you ever to that to me again!" her order was muffled by his neck and her sobs, but he got the point and hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

"I promise." He uttered.

Tania knew that no man should ever be able to turn her into such an emotional wreck like that, but for some reason, this man did things to her no one else did. And despite the fact that she had become some sort of walking cliché, she knew that their relationship was unlike any other. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

She pulled back enough to turn her head towards the others who were watching with varying degrees of shock and relief. "Finally!" Clint exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air with exasperation. Natasha elbowed him and he shut up.

Tania blinked, her arm still around Steve's waist while his was around her shoulders. "Where's Neil?"

At that moment, the Iron Man suit came tumbling down onto the roof with a mighty CRASH, limp and motionless. Tony didn't hesitate to stomp over to it and yank the head off, only to realize that there was nothing inside. Baffled, Tony peeked inside the helmet, praying he didn't accidentally tear the actual man's head off. To his utter relief, his helmet was also empty.

"What the fuck?" he whispered, mainly to himself, though everyone else heard. Except maybe Bruce.

A quiet scream made all of the Avengers turn to face the ledge Steve had been hanging over to see a black spot falling in the distance.

Unfortunately, there was no resounding splat, but they all knew he was dead. There was no way anyone could survive that.

Tony shrugged. "Must have hit the eject button."

"I wish we could have hit the fast forward button." a beat up Clint stated, looking around at everyone. They were all pretty worse for wear, but the sun was at its peak, they were all alive, and the sound of helicopter blades approaching reassured them all that SHIELD was here.

The wind evidently picked up, blowing everyone's hair and clothes at odd angles as the vehicle hovered over them. The door opened and a black man dressed all in black with an eye patch leaned out.

"Get your asses in here before I kick them in." he threatened before climbing back in, leaving no room for retorts.

"He seems charming." Tania deadpanned as the helicopter attempted to land on the roof. The structure began shaking again, its tremors wobbling on weak legs and everyone began to panic.

"All aboard!" Tony called as he hopped in his Iron Man suit. Thor swung his hammer and grabbed Steve and Tania as well. Clint used another one of his grappling arrows to shoot the lower bars of the helicopter while Natasha held on to him and the two were promptly lifted off the ground. Tony soared over to Pepper and Bruce and picker them both up in much the same way he did with Tania and Bruce from the grocery store.

Clint, Natasha, Bruce, Pepper, Steve, and Tania were all loaded onto the helicopter while the black man closed the door behind them. Tony and Thor hovered outside and everyone looked out the window to watch as Neil's maze of a mansion crumbled to the ground, never to be used again.  
The man turned to the small helicopter's occupants who were all squished inside. He eyed Tania in particular when he said, "I am Nick Fury of SHIELD, and you are all in big ass trouble."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N. Heeeeeeeeey! What's up? So I'm back with another chapter that I hope you guys enjoy. Only a couple more and then we're done! And I'd just like to put out there that is by far the longest story I have ever written... EVER. And I've never written a sequel before but I know that I am because A) you guys are awesome B) I had a (hopefully) original idea and C) I really enjoy writing for this particular couple. They're so cute right? And have no fear, the sequel will take place less than a month after this story. One more thing. For the poll on my profile, I have 5 votes saying they want a sequel, but 2 votes saying the want Peter Parker and 2 votes against. I would like a tie breaker voter to please go and... well, break the tie XP Enjoy!**

CHAPTER THIRTY

Rock music began to play through the speakers of the helicopter as Tony's voice penetrated the vehicle. "What did we do?" he asked in a tone that suggested he was frustrated with being accused of something he didn't do.

Nick Fury rolled his eyes. "Four of my best heroes drop from the radar unexpectedly for twenty four hours and send one Mr. Banks into a panic attack." He deadpanned, facial expression unchanging.

Tania gasped. "Graham?!"

"He was throwing a fit at the scene and we had to escort him out."

"What do you mean by 'escort'? What did you do with my little brother?!"

"He's fine. He's currently waiting at Avengers Tower accompanied by a couple of SHIELD agents." He glared at everyone in turn. "But he wouldn't be there, threatening the security of SHIELD, if everyone had their acts together and didn't disappear off the face of the planet for no reason."  
The Avengers, Tania, and Pepper all had the decency to look guilty. It was Steve who spoke next. "With all due respect Sir, we were all captured by an unforeseen enemy. We had no way of knowing-"

"Stark Tower has one of the best security systems in the entire freaking world with an artificial intelligence not used anywhere else because it's too advanced, and yet you're telling me that someone was able to waltz in and out of there as they pleased without setting off any alarms and kidnap each of you one by one?" he raised an eyebrow, obviously skeptical of the explanation he was receiving.

Tania didn't really know who this man was, but she needed to say something. "Excuse me, um, Mr. Fury-"

"It's Director Fury."

"Right, Director Fury. But I'm to blame for all this." She admitted ashamedly. She prayed she wouldn't get thrown in jail for this – then again, Tony would probably bail her out right away… probably.

Steve immediately leapt to her defense. "No, not really. We all let ourselves get caught and-"

"But the spider got inside my purse that day I got mugged and I brought him into the Tower." She frowned.

"But it kidnapped you first, and then it followed you, therefore it had to find some other way back into the Tower without your help – which it did. In fact, if it weren't for you making such a big fuss, we wouldn't have been forewarned. If anything, you saved us." He shot her a grateful smile.  
Nick Fury raised one hand to signal that they both stopped talking. "We will discuss this when we get back to base for the debriefing. Of which you will be attending." He addressed Tania directly. She nodded.

"If you don't mind my asking, what exactly is SHIELD?"

Everyone held their breath as they awaited Fury's response. "We're the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division." He answered, "We deal with otherworldly national and sometimes international threats as well as some of our own. We were the ones with the idea of the Avengers Initiative."

Tania's mouth formed a small "O". She nodded. "Okay, that makes sense." She paused. "Will I go to prison?" she wasn't really that worried. If Tony didn't bail her out of jail, Pepper would. Of that she was certain.

The right side of Fury's mouth twitched up to give a lop-sided smile for a split second. "No, Ms. Banks, you will not be going to jail."  
"Phew, you had me worried there for a second." she said, laughing nervously. "Wait, how do you know my name?"

"We're SHIELD. We know everything."

"Except where we were for the past twenty four hours." Tony interjected, voice crackling through the radio.

Fury ignored him. "We've been keeping tabs on you since your little publicity stunt with Agent Barton." She blushed at the reminder and grabbed Steve's hand as some sort of reassurance, interlacing their fingers together. The Director continued. "You've made quite the dent in the team." Everyone exchanged worried glances at where this was going. "Not to say that's a bad thing, in fact, you may have just brought these guys together more than I ever could. If anything, you are an asset to this team we cannot afford to lose. So no, you will not be going to jail if we have anything to say about it."

Tania's face broke into a giant smile of relief and she laid her head against Steve's shoulder. "Thanks Director Fury. I appreciate it."

"You have nothing to thank me for." He stated, standing up as the helicopter began to land. "I'll see you on deck." He threw open the door and stepped out, soon followed by Clint and Natasha, then Tania and Pepper, and finally Steve who was carrying a recklessly dressed Bruce in a rumpled SHIELD uniform. Iron Man came down just beside them and Thor touched down on the other side.

They were on some sort of huge floating airship and Tania was in absolute awe. Her jaw may as well have been on the ground it was open so wide. There were lanes for aircrafts criss-crossing the ship and four giant turbines keeping them in the air in each corner. Dozens of people in navy blue uniforms milled about, all with an aura of professionalism about them. They were quite a ways above a large body of water and it was getting a little hard to breathe.

Natasha nudged her shoulder and sent her a tiny smile, gesturing for her to follow the others who had continued on without her. She jogged to catch up, admiring her surroundings as she went. The sky was one hundred percent clear of clouds and a deep blue that went on forever. It was a lot to take in.

When they entered, it was a little too much like a maze for her liking, but that didn`t mean it was any less amazing to look at. Absolutely everything was high-tech and even more SHIELD agents were walking around doing their duties. There were lots of winding hallways that all looked the same with silver everything and similar doors every few meters. It was definitely a place someone could easily get lost in.

Clint and Natasha obviously knew the place the best, so everyone pretty much followed them, though no one was as shocked as her about their surroundings – except maybe Pepper, but she didn't look all that surprised.

They reached a huge room that had a balcony leaning over an even larger room filled to the brim with agents on computers doing various works and jobs. On the higher level with the balcony was a big round table with eight chairs on which everyone sat. Bruce was apparently awake now and sat down in his chair, too weary and too tired to even realize he had changed back. What had that drug done to him?

"Um, Director? Maybe Bruce should see a doctor first." Tania suggested, taking a seat in between Steve and a now suit-less Tony.  
Fury shook his head as another agent approached him, one who was seemingly quite high in the rankings. "Not before we get a story out of you people." He turned to Natasha and Clint. "You two are my agents and therefore the only ones I can legally force to speak. So speak."

All the while he was talking, a woman with chestnut brown hair in a bun dressed in a SHIELD uniform similar to Natasha's stood off to the side with her arms crossed. She had an ear piece around her head and a gun around her thigh. She looked lethal despite her straight face.

Steve leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her skin. "That's Agent Maria Hill, second in command to Director Fury himself." Tania had to force herself to keep from raising her shoulder in his face at the tingly feeling on her ear and neck. She nodded in understanding and couldn't help the quirking of her lips at what this man did to her.

Natasha started to recount her side of the tale, starting from when she had been called up to the lab with the other Avengers to discuss Tania's abduction. She continued on until she, Clint, and Thor had become separated from Tania, Steve, Tony, and Pepper.

_The two SHIELD agents and Thor ran for their lives as the Hulk chased them through the mansion, hot on their tails. It felt like the entire mansion was rattling like an animal trying to get out of its cage. The trio pumped their legs as fast as they could go, trying to find an exit before the Hulk caught up with them. That was their main goal. They had to lead the beast outside, once that was done, SHIELD would take care of the rest._

_But as Natasha ran, she realized that they could never outrun such a large creature who destroyed everything in its wake. Her heart was hammering in her chest, ears, and head and her breathing was laboured, but she would blame it on the running – she would always blame it on the running._

_A hand on her arm forced her to the right and slammed her against the wall. She wasn't afraid, Natasha Romanoff was never afraid. She knew it was Clint. His touch was so familiar to her that he could simply graze the tip of his pinky finger on the hairs of her arm and she would know it was him. That was why she didn't panic when he shoved her in the room along with Thor and shut the door behind them._

_They all held their breath, waiting for the inevitable moment when the Hulk would crash through the door and destroy them all in one go. But the shaking eventually ceased, and all was quiet. Well, for a little while._

_Natasha walked up to Clint and she slapped his arm. Hard. "OW!" he cried out, glaring at her and holding his bicep with his other hand._  
_She glared back and he shrunk down almost invisibly. But she saw it, and she knew it would happen. It was how their relationship worked. "What did you just do?!" she asked through gritted teeth. She was whispering, just in case the Hulk was near and could hear them. She couldn't afford to take chances._

_"I just saved your life. Your welcome." He retorted sarcastically._

_How could he not see the mistake he had made? Oh well, she was about to enlighten him in possibly the most frightening way. "You let him escape." She enunciated every word clearly, making sure he understood the repercussions of his actions._

_He shrugged his shoulders. "So? We'll find him again and then he'll probably be back to Bruce and we can take him in."_

_" 'Probably' isn't good enough. Do you know how big this place is? It's gargantuan. That's how big it is. And now thanks to you, we're lost, he's lost, Neil's lost, and Steve and Tania are lost. Now no one is keeping tabs on the Hulk and he could be anywhere. An unsupervised Hulk in an unknown location with an unknown amount of civilians present is an extremely dangerous thing and it's all. Your. Fault." Her anger was simmering, but whether it would boil over or calm down depended on Clint's response._

_"I… guess you're right." He admitted, and just like that Natasha's anger was gone, buried beneath the emotionless mask she almost always wore, especially on missions. Clint seemed relaxed as well, releasing the tension in his muscles. "We have to find them."_

_"The Hulk or Steve and Tania?"_

_"Both. Hopefully not at the same time."_

_"I think we should find a way out of here and then contact SHIELD. It's doubtful that they received our last transmission and if we send a flare or signal from outside, the chances of them finding us increase exponentially."_

_Clint raised his arms in defeat. "Fine, you win. Lead the way Romanoff."_

_She nodded, glad that he remembered her ability to memorize layouts of buildings simply by walking through them once and let her take the reins. She knew the exact pathway they had taken and could backtrack them all the way to the prison cell they had entered via portal. But they hadn't passed any exits – she would have noticed – so her backtracking skills wouldn't be very useful. Even so, she knew where not to go. So she took the lead and passed by Thor, who was muttering something along the lines of, "Tis as if I am not even in existence."._

_She felt kind of bad about not including the thunder God in the conversation, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Cocking her gun and keeping it straight ahead, she reached out to the doorknob slowly and carefully. Her mouth was slightly open and the rate of her breath increased ever so slightly. If the Hulk was still there, they were doomed. If Neil was there, then the three of them had a chance of defeating him – but only if they had the element of surprise, because if they didn't, then he did._

_With one final breath, she swung open the door and aimed her gun at the center of the room, only to be shocked at the sight. There was no one there, which was a relief, but that wasn't what was so surprising. It was a filing room. But it hadn't been before. They had come from that very same room and yet it was completely different. The walls were different colours, the only furniture in the room were the filing cabinets, and even the floor was tile instead of hardwood. Everything had changed. But… it was the same room. It had to be. There were no other doors from the other room to leave from._

_Natasha took a few cautious steps forward, swinging her gun from side to side, eyes sweeping the area. Clint followed behind her, immediately at her back, with his bow raised and poised to release. Thor came in after them, not as in tune with their minds and clutching his hammer tightly in one hand. All was silent._

_Eventually, Clint lowered his bow, but Natasha's gun stayed up. "Am I going crazy, or was this an arcade like, two minutes ago."_

_"You're not crazy," she assured him, staring at the giant mirror hanging on the wall adjacent to the one with the door to the room they had just come from. "there was a door right over there." She nodded to the mirror. "But it's gone."_

_"Notice how all the dimensions are the same."_

_"But the colours are different."_

_"And the floor is just as smooth."_

_"But the furniture-"_

_"Which we never touched."_

_"- has been replaced." She lowered her gun and walked over to a filing cabinet. She reached out to touch it, only for her finger to go through the intangible object and causing the entire box to sizzle and shimmer. "A hologram." She stated._

_"Which means that all the furniture in this crazy house is a hologram."_

_"I wouldn't say all of it, but most of it. And this place is rigged to change holograms every time someone enters or leaves a room. That would explain why this thing seems so big. It's probably not as big as we originally thought, it just keeps changing its appearance."_

_"So doorways-"_

_"Can't change." She raised her gun and shot the mirror without hesitation, shattering it to pieces as Clint and Thor came to stand behind her. The shards of glass fell away to reveal a doorway to another unfamiliar room._

_Clint whistled. "You know that's seven years of bad luck?"_

_Her eyes flickered to him for a second. "Don't worry, you'll ward it away."_

_They advanced through the hole they had just made, walking into what appeared to be a dining room. "So what are you saying, that I'm your lucky __charm?" he had this annoying smirk that played on his lips whenever he got cocky. Natasha both hated and loved it._

_"No, I'm saying you're awful sense of humour repulses everything, even bad luck."_

_"How does that even make any sense? And besides, you're still here, so obviously I don't repulse you." He responded cheekily._

_She rolled her eyes. "I'm immune to it." She deadpanned. She tried to brush away curtains to see a window but they turned out to be holographic. "Clint. This one."_

_"You sure?"_

_"I'm always sure."_

_"I know. Just making sure."_

_"Shut up." she rolled her eyes._

_He smirked but did so and strung his bow. His gaze zoomed in on the window that may or may not be holographic, his eyes somehow cleared and turned a deeper shade of blue. It was that shade that Natasha loved most. When he was at his best and focused solely on that one thing… she especially loved it when he looked at her that way._

_The arrow was fired and lodged itself in the wall exactly one millimetre away from the border of the window. "EVERYONE DOWN!" he back flipped as far as the room would allow as the arrow started to beep. Natasha jumped into the air and placed both feet vertically on the wall with the window before pushing off with all her might in the same direction as Clint. The beeping started to get faster. Thor, unsure of what was going on, gripped Mjolnir tighter and started slowly backing away, never taking his eyes off of the arrow. The beeping was so fast it almost sounded like one long and annoying sound._

_BOOM! Everyone was thrown back as the explosion went off. A huge cloud of dust and dirt erupted from the broken wall that was now a pile of rubble and consumed the entire room and those around it._

_Ears ringing, Natasha coughed, trying to rid her lungs of the pieces of wall particles flying through the air. She had a little cut on her forehead that was oozing blood but she barely felt it. It was nothing compared to what she'd been through in her past._

_She coughed again. "Clint? Thor?" Suddenly the comm in her ear vibrated and she pressed it immediately._

_"Black Widow, can you hear me? Do you copy?" came Tania's worried voice._

_Natasha wanted to respond, she really did, but for a brief moment she found she couldn't breathe. She whacked her chest and started spluttering __and coughing, finally getting air into her system. "This is…" cough, "Black Widow." Cough, "I copy."_

_Tania sighed on the other end "Oh thank God. Nat, what happened over there?"_

_Natasha coughed again. "Hawkeye tried to blow us out of here." She explained, squinting her eyes through the clearing dust in an attempt to spot the wall and what it lead to._

_"Oh… and did it work?"_

_"I don't know. I'll let the smoke clear and then call you back."_

_"Is everyone else alright?"_

_"One sec. Clint? Thor?" She called out, raising her voice to be heard over the ringing she knew was in everyone's head. It took a few seconds, but eventually Thor responded._

_"Yes, Widow of Black. I am alright."_

_"Clint?"_

_There was a rough, harsh cough that cut her off. "Present."_

_She rolled her eyes and pressed her finger against the comm again. "Yeah, we're a little smoky but we're okay."_

_"Who're you talking to?" he asked, standing up. She could see almost everything now. Clint was about two meters away from her and dusting himself off while Thor was to the far right of the room and shaking his head and cape free of particles and dirt._

_"Good." Tania said in her ear, "Steve and I found the Hulk. He's on the roof… I think. We had to leave Tony and Pepper behind in order to make a run for it. No sign of Neil but I'm going to try to subdue Bruce."_

_Natasha tensed. "Banks, that's crazy! Wait for us. I think I see an exit, we'll meet you up there." She hastily stood up with the help of Clint, who __grabbed her elbow. She started making her way towards the now non-existent wall._

_"Sorry Natasha, but the longer we wait, the more Bruce could destroy and the farther away he could be."_

_"Wait! Tania-!" there was a click before the line went dead. "Damn it!" she picked up the pace and sprang through the wall._

_"Tasha!" Clint exclaimed, leaping through after her. Thor followed suit in silence. "What's going on?"_

_Natasha was turned around and staring at the sky. Because they were outside, and there was a sky instead of a ceiling. Clint almost cheered. But then he turned to look at what Natasha was seeing and his stomach dropped. It was Bruce- er, the Hulk- and he sounded like he was fighting something._

_"Barton! Get us up there!" she ordered him, anger in her eyes._

_Clint nodded and strung his bow, aiming for the very edge of the room. "Hold on tight!"_

"And then we joined the fight. Barton and I were trying to subdue the Hulk while Thor went to help Cap fight Neil, but Tania got in the way and managed to subdue the Hulk." Natasha continued, telling her story to the very finish. It was fulfilling to listen to the other side of the story, to know what was going on at all times and be totally aware of what was happening and what could have happened. Tania liked that feeling.

As Natasha finished her story, the brunette's eyes began to wander. She was there for the big climax battle thing, she didn't need to hear it again, though she had a sneaking suspicion she would have to recount the entire thing to a certain hissy fit throwing brother back home. She grimaced. If SHIELD allowed her.

She didn't like keeping secrets and lying, especially to Graham. Even if she was forced to she didn't think she could. It just physically wasn't possible. As much as she hated to admit it (in public) she loved her brother very much and could never lie to him straight out.

"So you're telling me," Directory Fury's voice brought Tania back to the helicarrier and she blinked, staring at his eye-patch as he spoke. ", that a twenty four year old girl-" Woman, she thought angrily, "sang a lullaby to a raging green monster that destroyed Harlem, and he just fell asleep?" he asked sarcastically despite the truth that rang in his words.

Every head around the table nodded except Bruce's. The doctor was fully awake now, but he had little to no recollection of what happened. Natasha's story was like listening to an audiobook: you could picture it in your head but you couldn't feel any of it going on. It was like the Hulk was a fictional character in a sci-fi story, but alas for Bruce, that wasn't the case, no matter how much he wished it to be.

Fury's face didn't change. "I find that very hard to believe."

"Would we lie to you sir?" Natasha asked smoothly, face calm and unreadable. She had one forearm on the table while she leaned back in her chair and used her feet to swing from side to side, all the while keeping her arm on the table while her other hand was intertwined with Clint's beneath the table.

Fury eyed her wearily. "Yes." He said without hesitation. "I know you, Agent Romanoff. You do what you think is best. Including lying directly to my face."

Natasha shrugged. "That's what you hire me for Sir, lying."

"Granted. However, I want to hear the real story because lying in a report or debriefing is against SHIELD policy."

"We know." She replied, slightly annoyed now. "But I'm telling you that every person in this room except you and Agent Hill can vouch for me."  
Fury raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he turned to Bruce, who was resting his head on one hand whose elbow was on the table and practically falling asleep again. "Dr. Banner."

Bruce jumped, knocking his chair back a couple feet. "Uh, yes sir?" he walked the chair on wheels back to the table and eyed the director nervously.

"Is what Agent Romanoff said true?"

"Uh, I don't know. I don't really remember much-"

"Then I'm afraid that you have no proof-"

"Wait!" Tony interjected, raising a hand as if he were back in elementary school. Except he didn't wait to be called on, much like high school. He stood up. "Bruce is hyped up on some sort of drug right now. Until we get him checked out and then cured-"

"Cured?!" the scientist in question exclaimed.

"-his answers can't be one hundred percent reliable. He needs to go to medical." He narrowed his eyes. "Now."

He and Fury had a little staring contest before the director eventually sighed. He turned to the agent in the corner. "Agent Hill, escort Dr. Banner to medical and alert me when they say he is ready to be interrogated."

She nodded obediently. "Yes, Sir." She marched off to do her job, taking Bruce by the elbow and dragging the dazed and drowsy doctor out of the room. For a little while, no one moved.

"What are you waiting for? A dismissal bell? Get the hell out of my face." Nick Fury turned and gripped the metal railing that allowed him to oversee the dozens of working agents on computers below him. The Avengers and their girlfriends (those who were present) slowly got up to leave.

Once the doors were closed behind them, Tania spoke up. "Um, how are we getting home?" she asked, curious and anxious. She had no idea the state of the Tower – it would probably need even more repairs – and she didn't know how her brother would react at seeing her again. Not to mention she would come back from a lethal kidnapping with a boyfriend…

"A quinjet of course." Clint answered, and they all followed the two assassins to the deck where they kept the jets were. As they walked, Tania was growing increasingly nervous. She started playing with the ring on her finger which was miraculously still there after everything that had happened, twisting it around and around.

Steve grabbed her hand and she was yanked out of her thoughts, looking up at him. He sent her an encouraging smile. And that was when she knew. Everything was going to be just fine as long as she had him. Because now that she did, she was never letting go. Too bad Graham would probably have a different opinion…


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N. Hey guys! I'm back again, and so soon too! I just had to get this chapter out for some reason. I was planning on making this chapter longer, but I decided to split it. Sorry Graham fans, he comes in next chapter :P And then after that is the epilogue-thing and then I'll be taking a short break before writing the sequel because I still need to brainstorm a couple more ideas. So without further ado, here's chapter 31 of Sitting At A Coffee Shop With Captain America. Enjoy. :D**

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Once everyone was loaded on the quinjet, with Clint and Natasha piloting up front and everyone else in the back, silence reigned between the seven people. When the jet took off and the helicarrier was just a small spec in a massive ocean, Pepper broke the silence, visibly shaken from the whole thing. To her credit, she sat up straight and offered Tony comfort despite probably needing it herself; she was holding herself together.

"Don't you think we should… talk about this?" she suggested, glancing at every person she could see. She sat on Tony's right with her hand on his knee while he sat back against the wall on the bench. Across from them, Thor sat on the bench as well with one hand holding the handles that hung from the ceiling. On his right and sitting on the floor, were Tania and Steve. He had his legs out in front of him and his left arm around her shoulders while his other hand toyed with her hair. She sat cuddled into his side with her head on his shoulder and her knees tucked in and turned to the right so that her feet were facing left. Her broken wrist lay in her lap uselessly and her other hand held Steve's other her shoulder.

At the sound of Pepper's question, everyone looked up. Tony was the first to speak. "I think I'm good, I don't know about you guys but I just want to go home and eat some shawarma." He stretched his arms and torso while saying this. Everyone looked sceptical.

"Tony," Steve started, "I think Pepper's right. We can't just live our lives without addressing this. It needs to be conversed about."

"I agree, Friend Steve. We must all discuss such important matters as this." Thor nodded his head.

"All in favour, say I." Pepper announced.

"I."

"I."

"I."

"I."

"I."

"All against, say Tony rocks." He ordered. "Tony rocks!"

"I am not saying that." Natasha stated, point blank.

"Aw come on, Red, you know it's true."

"I am against. That is all you need to know."

"Majority rules," Pepper interrupted, "We're going to talk, and we're going to talk now." She turned to Tania. "Would you mind starting, Tania? You were the first so it only makes sense."

She gulped. "Um, but you guys know what happened."

"Just talk about how you felt."

"Can I change my vote?" At Pepper's narrowed gaze, Tania sighed. "Fine. I'll start at the beginning. When I fought the spider, I wasn't afraid. Despite the fact it was mechanical, in my head it was just a little something I could squish. But then everything went haywire when I fell through that window." She shuddered. Steve brought her closer and squeezed her hand. "It was terrifying, thinking I was going to fall to my death. And that feeling… that feeling of freefalling and having no control over how you fell, where you fell, when you fell… it was easily the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced.

"And then there was the actual prison itself. As soon as I fell in, Neil approached. He seemed enraged and started throwing insults at the spider, saying that he didn't want me, he wanted the other 'dark haired one'. And then he told me that the spider snuck into the Tower through of my purse and that he was the guy that mugged me that day Pepper, Natasha, and I went shopping. For the brief moments he had my purse he planted the bug in it and then I brought it back home.

"For countless hours I was racked with guilt. It was my fault that Neil had the ability to go after you all. It was my fault that the spider got in the Tower in the first place. It was my fault that I left without saying goodbye and you would all be ambushed thinking I had run away or something. I dealt with those feelings on and off throughout the entirety of my imprisonment, and I'm still feeling them now.

"But the most dominant feeling is relief. That and happiness at finally being able to kiss Steve after so long." She nuzzled his neck and loved the way she could feel the heat crawling up his throat and to his cheeks. She smiled. "I guess one good thing came out of this."

"Tania," Tony called, "This is not your fault in anyway. It would have happened had you been there or not, it was inevitable."

She sighed. "I know that now. But somehow, that doesn't make the guilt go away."

"Oh don't worry, Capsicle will kiss it better – hopefully in one of your rooms because I do not need to see that." He wrinkled his nose and she laughed through her blushing.

"Okay, I feel lighter. Who's next?"

"Well, if we're going chronologically, I guess that would be me." Tony sat forward, resting both elbows on his knees and seeming pretty eager to get the weight off his chest despite being initially against the idea. "After that awful bank heist mission, all I wanted to do was sleep in bed with Pepper for two days. That obviously didn't happen. Though it still could." He winked at his girlfriend. "But then there was the whole, 'my kitchen is destroyed and Tania's missing!' thing, so my rest would have to wait.

"You all know what happens after that. Anyway, when I eventually got to the cell, Tania looked pretty roughed up-"

"Oh please! Just cause I wasn't wearing any shoes, my hair was mess up, and my clothes were windblown doesn't mean I got 'roughed up'. Which I didn't." she interjected.

Tony raised an eyebrow but kept going. "Well, you were also cold and hungry and had to come to me for warmth."

"I remember it being you who threw your arm around me and said I was cold."

"Actually, you put your head on my shoulder first, and then my arm instinctively went around you because you felt just like Pepper – but colder and shorter. And then you slept in my arms."

Tania's face was bright red. "Not one of my finer moments." She confessed, shrinking into Steve's side. "Continue with your story, Stark."

"So yeah. I had an ingenious plan to get us out of there but it backfired. And then Thor got there."

"Okay, wait, hold up." Clint said from the left pilot seat at the front of the jet. His head never turned from the window in front of him. "Tony was being… considerate? I find that hard to believe."

"I don't." Pepper stated, rubbing Tony's arm up and down. She was obviously proud of him, despite the act itself was 'sleeping' with another woman technically. "Tony's just a big softie on the inside."

"Hey! Stop giving away all my secrets!" he chastised her. But then he brushed his nose against hers and shook his head back and forth. "Guess I'll have to punish you later…"

"Okay Thor! You're up!" Tania exclaimed, speaking over the CEOs in the hopes that they would get the point and stop.

Thor nodded his head and let go of the handle, sitting up straighter. "After my battle with the arachnid, I was plunged into a deep slumber. I remember nothing of my dreams, only darkness. I was awakened by the Lady Tania and mistakenly grabbed her arm."

"Wait, is that how Tania broke her wrist?" Clint asked incredulously.

"Surprisingly, no." Tania answered, "but that part's coming up." She turned to Thor. "Continue."

"As you wish. After apologizing profusely and awakening Friend Tony, he devised a plan to test a means of escape. I did not completely comprehend the working of it but it involved creating a ladder of bodies. I was on the bottom and lifting Friend Tony by his feet while Lady Tania was perched on his shoulders to touch the ceiling."

"I see where this is going…" Natasha commented, flicking a few switches on the dashboard.

"Our equilibrium was disturbed, and they fell to the floor in a heap. That is how the Lady Tania broke her wrist and I am incredibly sorry for allowing such things to happen." He sent her an apologetic look that she quickly waved away.

"It's okay Thor, it wasn't your fault."

"Not only for that, but for my losing battle with the arachnid. Had I simply crushed it most of this would not have happened, and for that I apologize."

"Thor, none of us could defeat that thing. It is in no way your fault." Natasha comforted, "Speaking of which, none of you have to worry. It was destroyed when the mansion went down. And with no master, it wouldn't have been activated or working anyway."

Tania felt her shoulders relax just a smidge. She managed a small but genuine smile. "That's good. What about Neil? Are we sure he's dead?"

"SHIELD sent a few agents to his last known location to pick up the body. He's dead." The spy confirmed. Everyone let out some form of a sigh of relief. "Pepper? You're next."

The other red head sat up straighter in her seat, eager to get the weight off her chest. "After witnessing Tony's capture, I felt like the whole world had tilted and then turned upside down. He was gone and I didn't know where he went or if I would ever see him again. And I could have gone after him but I wasn't quick enough and the portal closed.

"I was bombarded by a tidal wave of emotions and none of them were even remotely positive. I ran to get Bruce. Of course, you all know that we went to get the data from Tony and Thor's kidnappings and that I was sucked into the portal first, but when I was I felt sort of… hope. If that makes sense. I could be reunited with Tony again. This portal could be my ticket to seeing him one more time.

"And then Bruce jumped in after me and we landed in the cell with all of you guys. And then we escaped to that lab and we had the fight and then all went black and I woke up someplace totally unfamiliar – but at least I was with Tony. That was all that mattered to me at that moment. We followed the Hulk's tracks up some sort of tower and into the action. All the while I was praying that none of you were hurt or worse and- and-" she hiccupped, overcome with emotion. She covered her mouth with one hand but removed it to speak only to replace it after she was done. "I worry about you guys all the time and you all mean so much to me and you're always going on dangerous mission and it was bad enough that Tony was doing dangerous and reckless things every day but now I have seven people I have to constantly worry about whether or not they're going to come back and I love you all so much and…" she started sobbing but she did her best to repress them. She took deep breaths until she calmed down, with Tony's thumb running comforting circles along the back of her hand. When she was calm again (which took a remarkably short amount of time) she spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm just a worry wart. I don't know you guys handle this on every mission while in the thick of the action. I guess I've got it easy."

"Pep, no one ever said living with super heroes was easy. The love that you give us –especially me – is astounding and I wouldn't have it any other way. I speak for all of us when I say that we don't want you to be upset when we leave, but we realize that it's something we all have to live with. But look at it this way. Now you have Tania to keep you company." Tony pointed out.

Tania wrinkled her nose. She didn't like the idea of being the housewife that waits for her husband to come from work every day. Theoretically! Of course, because she and Steve weren't anywhere near marriage yet. Not to say that she didn't like the idea of spending time with Pepper, because she did. They needed a definite spa day. And she also had her own career, which would keep her occupied enough while at the same time excluding her from the housewife/girlfriend category.

Pepper smiled. "Thanks guys. You're all the best." She took another deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was just normal day to day Pepper Potts. Her smile was contagious and Tania found the corners of her lips pulling up.

"Do you feel better now?" she asked.

Pepper nodded. "Yeah, I do. I mean, I'll always worry about you guys, that's just the way I am. But I don't have to worry right now. I mean, Bruce is in the medical ward, but I know he's in good hands and you are all safe and sound and here with me. I couldn't be happier." She smiled brightly at all of them and they each attempted to return it.

"I guess I'm up." Steve said, shifting slightly in his spot. "After Tania's disappearance I… I didn't know what to think. I knew nothing about where she was, who had taken her, or why. There was nothing to go off of, nothing to do. There were no real clues and that in itself was the most frustrating thing. I came to SHIELD. They weren't much help. Plus Clint had already called them apparently so they decided they couldn't spare a single person more on this case.

"I was captured by that infuriating spider in the same place as Bruce, Pepper, and Thor and landed on that experiment table. My shield fell through with me and Neil took it and hid it. Tania and I later found it behind a holographic wardrobe. I don't really know what it was doing there but Neil was a crazy ad unpredictable man.

"Then there was the kiss…" he glanced at Tania, assuring her that he had wanted it and did not regret it in the least, "and then-"

"Woah, woah, woah." Tony interrupted, "I wanna hear details. Spill."

The couple in question immediately began to blush. "It's none of your business!" Tania barked, face heating up.

"Oh come on, don't tell me on the only one dying to know?" he looked around the room. "Really? Just me?"

Pepper shyly raised her hand. "I'm kind of curious, but that's more of a girl talk than anything that I'm definitely planning later. Spa day?"

Tania grinned. "Spa day." She turned to Natasha. "Hey Nat, want to join us?"

There was a brief silence as the entire jet awaited her answer. "Alright." The assassin crack a small smile. "Sounds like fun."

Tania beamed. She had earned Natasha's trust – that was a very hard thing to do. Not to mention that she didn't protest to being called 'Nat'. It was progress. "Great! We'll schedule that when we get home."

"Gosh, home. Can't wait…" Steve breathed, resting his head on Tania's.

"Tomorrow, coffee shop, usual time. Don't be late." She whispered back.

"How about I pick you up and we walk there together? And then I'll take you on a real date."

"Does our coffee shop not count?"

"If it did, we would have been dating since the day I met you. I want to do something special."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise."

She rolled her eyes. "You're so cheesy."

"Yet you're still here."

"I am." She leaned in to kiss him oblivious of the five pairs of eyes watching them intently despite the fact that they had been whispering and no one could hear what they were saying. When their lips were a hair's breadth apart, she realized they were there and pulled away. It was a lot harder than she thought it would be, But then Steve's arm left her shoulder and stroked the hair at the back of her neck, securing her into place as he leaned in closer.

"Don't mind them." And then they were kissing, all the pent up sexual tension between them for the past month and then some building up to a boiling point as their lips moved in time with each other. It was more in sync than the last one and would only continue to improve the more often they did it, something to which they both looked forward to in the near future.

"Okay! I didn't need to see that many details!" Tony exclaimed.

Tania giggled and removed her lips from his, fluttering her eyelashes against his nose before pulling back, turning so that she faced away from him but leant into his torso completely. Getting the memo, Steve wrapped both of his arms around her stomach and she lifted herself over one of his legs so that she rested in the middle. Steve seemed kind of hesitant as to where exactly to put his hands and head, so she directed him by holding his hands in place crossed over her stomach at her sides and then tilted her head back so that it was beneath his chin. Reading her signals, Steve rested the tip of his jaw on the crown of her head.

He had never been this close to a girl before, not in this way. It was kind of awkward for him but nice at the same time. He didn't want to mess anything up with Tania, but he knew that she wouldn't judge him for being a little outdated when it came to relationships especially. Still, he wanted to be able to give her everything she wanted and needed without having to be asked for it. He was going to put his all into this relationship – were they in a relationship? – and pray that he didn't lose her.

"Clint, Natasha, you're up." The brunette stated.

"We don't have to talk. The both of us feel fine, right Nat?"

"Right."

"Natasha?" Clint turned to look at her, having noticed something no one else did. The red head didn't do anything out of the ordinary and continued to flick switches and press buttons as they flew. "You… want to talk about something?"

"No." she snapped, a little too fast. Clint didn't believe. "I know you, there's something on your mind. Come on, say it. If I can trust everyone here, so can you."

Natasha didn't react. But after a few tense seconds she sighed. "I hate you. The only thing I'm going to say is that… I was worried. I haven't felt worried for so many people in… a very long time. It's… odd, to say the least. Even the newest addition to our group has me stressing out about their safety. It's just a revelation, I guess."

"So… what you're saying is, you consider us friends now?" Tony confirmed.

Natasha didn't answer. Just from her silence, Clint was able to somehow read her mind and respond for her. "She considers us her family."

"Shut up Barton." She grumbled, however she made no attempt to take it back. Sensing her uneasiness on such a touchy subject, the others changed topics.

"I have something to say, actually." Clint admitted. "Tania, I'm really sorry about what I said on the roof. You are one of us, just without the costumes and optional superpowers. Consider yourself an honorary Avenger. But you're not coming on any missions with us."

Tania nodded. "Apology accepted. I knew what you meant. And don't worry, after today, I don't plan to you. I'll leave the butt-kicking to you guys."

"I say she has a super power." Tony said, "She sang to the Hulk and calmed him down. No one else on Earth can do that except maybe an ex-girlfriend of his."

Tania rolled her eyes and gave a bitter laugh. "Oh yeah, my super power is singing lullabies to giant creatures. What would my name be? Lullaby Baby?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, something more like… Musica." Tony suggested.

"Lame."

"High Note?"

"No."

"Latin Lullaby."

"I'm not Latin, so no."

"How about just Song?"

"Nope."

Clint started joining in. "Staccato Girl?"

"Uh, no."

Soon everyone was throwing out suggestions.

"Rock a bye Hulk?"

"Seriously?"

"The Beast Tamer."

"Nuh uh."

"Enchantress of Song?"

"Elegant, but no."

"The Singing Wonder?"

Tania threw her hands up the air in frustration. "I'm not going to be a super hero! I'm not going to be a SHIELD agent, I'm not going to be a sidekick, nothing. Being an honorary Avenger is fine with me as long as it doesn't entail going on missions with you guys. And if I'm an honorary Avenger, then so is Pepper, because let's face it, without Pepper, Tony wouldn't be a very good super hero."

"Hey!"

"Yeah, that's true." Everyone agreed, turning to each other and mumbling their agreements. Tony grumbled and crossed his arms like a pouty kid.

"Consider you both honorary Avengers." Clint declared. Tania and Pepper beamed as the jet started to shake.

"Buckle up everyone. We're coming in for a landing."

**A.N. So... Peter Parker in the sequel? Yes, no, thoughts?**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N. Aloha! That means hello and goodbye, which is fitting for the last chapter of the story :OOOOOO Yes, this is it. The final installment of Sitting At A Coffee Shop With Captain America. I want to thank all my loyal reviewers who comment all the time, you guys inspire me to keep writing. I also want to thank anyone and everyone who favourited and/or followed my story or just read the thing all the way through, waiting for me to update. I would also like to thank my friend that Tania was originally based on for the inspiration to make my oneshot into a multi-chapter. Anyway, expect the sequel up around April, maybe sooner if you're lucky ;P and here's the summary you've all been waiting for.**

**Tania and Steve are finally together, but with a new relationship and dynamic comes awkwardness, tension, and drama. Problems arise and a rift is created, but it only gets bigger when Stark's time machine is thrown into the mix and the couple are sent all the way back to World War II. Can their love survive their toughest challenge yet? Have they altered the future/present by going to the past? Only time will tell...**

**So I hope you guys enjoyed this story and the one to come. I also wanted to clarify that when I asked if you guys wanted Peter in the sequel, I never meant to give him a huge part. He's not going to be another Avenger or anything, though I've decided he'll have a speaking role and appear in at least 2 or 3 chapters. So he's kind of got a cameo. Hope none of you are disappointed.**

**Disclaimer - Just for good measure, one last time, I don't own the Avengers. ;D**

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

"Graham!" the university student's head popped up at the sound of his name, though what really had him reeling was the voice that spoke it.

"Tania!" and then suddenly she was on him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and his around her torso. He squeezed her tightly and sighed in relief. "You suck, you know that?"

Tania smiled. "I know, and I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "You can't apologize for what you are."

"Or what happens to you that you can't stop." They broke away just as the rest of the Avengers filed into the lounge where evidence of Tania's capture still lay, practically untouched. It was easy to see why Graham had waited for her in that exact spot, riddled with worry and dread.

"If you ever worry me that much again, I swear to Thor that I'll kick your ass all the way back to Kentucky."

"As long as 'Fried Chicken' follows that statement I'm good with wherever you send me."

He snorted and punched her shoulder lightly. "Good to have you back sis." That one sentence wasn't enough to display his emotions that were so clearly written in his eyes, but Tania understood. Their relationship wasn't one of too much seriousness though when need be they could be super angsty. They preferred instead to laugh it off and make jokes about situations past. Understanding that her brother didn't want to talk about it, at least not with everyone around, she grinned at him.

"Good to be back."

Tony and Pepper had begun to survey the damage and started calling construction crews and such to fix the destruction while the others all dispersed to their rooms for a good night's rest, leaving an awkward Steve with the two siblings alone. The Captain had his hands stuffed in his pockets and he was rocking back and forth on his heels and waiting for his cue.

"Graham," Tania started, suddenly nervous about telling her brother about her newest… boyfriend? Was that what he was? They'd have to discuss that later at their coffee shop. Just the thought of the place that had started it all had the brunette smiling happily. "I'd like you to meet someone." She waved Steve over and he slowly walked forward.

Tania grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers together as she leaned into his head, being careful of her broken wrist that she was thankful Graham had yet to notice.

"I've already met Captain America but I'd be glad to meet him again." Graham grinned holding out his hand to shake. Not one to be rude, Steve grabbed the man's hand.

"As my boyfriend." Tania finished. Graham's hold suddenly tightened and also it didn't hurt, it was still off-putting and had Steve just slightly on edge. When they let go, Graham's smile had fallen off his face.

"Boyfriend?"

This was not the reaction she had anticipated or wanted, and Tania felt herself breaking out into a cold sweat. The tension in the room was so thick they might as well have been swimming in it – no, drowning in it. But then Graham's grin came back full force.

"FINALLY!" he slapped Steve on the back and then gave his sister a one-armed hug. "I was starting to think you'd never get together. I can't believe I lost."

"Lost?" the couple questioned together.

"Yeah, I had a bet going on with the other Avengers about how long it would take you. I gave you until Halloween."

"When was this?" Tania asked.

"The day I came over here looking for Thor and the two of you were cooped up in your room for the day."

"Ah."

"Who won?" Steve wanted to know.

"Well not Tony because he bet that you guys would come out that day. Um, Pepper said by the end of August. Let's see, I don't think Hawkeye or Black Widow were there, Thor said the next day, so… Bruce, I guess."

"What did he bet?"

"Within the week. But back on topic," he pointed a finger at Steve and poked him in the chest a couple times as he talked, "you better take good care of my sister. After what happened today- or rather, yesterday – I think we both know how much trouble she can get into. If the next time I see her she isn't completely unscathed you can forget about my opinion of you. You're lucky I'm letting you date her now especially after what happened. But because you're Captain America and you're like, the nicest most gentlemanly guy in the whole world, I'm letting you off easy. So take good care of her, treat her well, and don't lose her. She's one of a kind."

Tania rolled her eyes at his cliché big brother speech and punched his arm a little harder than usual. It didn't affect him. "I can take care of myself, Gray."

"I know. But for the times you can't, that's what you have me and him for." He jutted a thumb at him and Steve.

Something warm and pleasant began to spread through Tania's heart and the rest of her as she spoke next. "That's what I have the Avengers and you for."

The next day, Tania awoke to the bright sunlight of the end of the summer morning and groaned. Dark circles surrounded her eyes and her sheets were an absolute mess. One of her pillows was on the floor and her bed spread was in a messy pile on the corner by her feet and her legs were completely entangled in whatever blanket was left.

Last night had been full of nightmares, mostly of falling from heights which would immediately cause her to wake up screaming. The others were of Bruce writhing in pain on that lab table, of Tony painfully getting his arc reactor surgically removed from his chest (which was crazy since you could just twist and pull and it would come off – she'd heard stories), of Thor lying unconscious and bleeding to death, of Clint and Natasha's bodies buried beneath a giant pile of rubble, of Pepper's form hanging from the wall like Jesus Christ, and finally, the Tower imploding and collapsing, symbolizing the end of the Avengers.

It was those that scared her the most. A random moment of exhilaration that wore off quickly was just as frightening, but the effects didn't last. To watch her friends die before her, even in dream form, was horrifying and painful. Surprisingly, Steve hadn't been in her dreams at all, which she was thankful for. She didn't know if she'd be able to face him at the coffee shop if she did.

That thought made her smile despite her mood. After having dropped her off at the hospital and gotten her patched up, Steve and Tania had decided on a time to go to get breakfast. They would talk out their relationship like mature adults and then they could officially be a couple. Not to mention Steve had planned a surprise first date for them apparently. It was that thought alone that had her forcing herself to get up. It was only six a.m. Still, she got dressed like a zombie after having picked her outfit the night before (a beautiful red flow-y skirt that reached her knees and a navy blouse with a light blue jean jacket over top) with a bit of difficulty and made her way to the kitchen.

She was trying (and failing) to apply her makeup in the elevator to cover the bags under her eyes when JARVIS spoke, startling her for the first time in a while. "Ms. Banks, I feel I should inform you that everyone is currently awake and in the kitchen."

Tania blinked, not actually all that surprised. She felt the corners of her lips turn upwards. "I never thought I'd say this, but I missed you Jarvis."

"Thank you, Ms. Banks. Your lack of presence has not gone unnoticed."

She chuckled just then the doors opened. Every head in the room turned to face her and indeed, everyone was there. Even Bruce, who looked perfectly healthy, if a little tired. She walked in. "Well this is first, I used to always be the first one awake before I moved here."

"Well that was your old life, welcome to your new one. No refunds." Tony quipped, taking a sip of tequila. She would question why he was drinking alcohol so early in the morning, but it was Tony Stark. Sometimes (most times) it was best not to ask. She took a seat at the counter next to him and silence reigned once again.

Despite having talked everything out the day before, everyone was still a little sketchy about the subject, skirting around the edges. It appeared that no one had slept very well that night. But as soon as she'd entered the room, everyone had relaxed just a little bit. They were all together now. No one was missing, the lounge was off-limits so no one had any evidence of the day before. It was… it was okay.

Surrounded by all of her friends, Tania knew that she would beat those nightmares and the flashbacks and the sadness and fear way faster than she would have sans Avengers. Her eyes met Steve's and he nodded his greeting. She smiled at him, silently inviting him to go with her. He grinned and stood up.

"We're going out for breakfast, okay guys?" she told everyone as she went over to him and wove her arm through his in that old fashioned way.

"No funny business!" Tony called out after them, causing everyone to roll their eyes as Tania and Steve stepped into the elevator.

It was quiet on the walk to the coffee shop, but it was a comfortable quiet. They took in their surroundings and enjoyed the sounds of New York as they passed. Their sunglasses and hats blocked their faces so the paparazzi wouldn't attack them and it worked.

Only once they were seated at their table did they remove their disguises with small laughs. A waiter came by and took their order and they both ordered black coffee and decided to share a very large amount of crepes that took up three plates stacked about half a foot in the air each.  
Tania promptly swallowed another bite. "So, about… the kiss." She started awkwardly, already feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. "Are we… boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

Steve finished taking a sip from his coffee. "If… if you want to be. I certainly wouldn't mind." He avoided her gaze and took another bite of food.

"I want to be." That had him looking up and they made eye contact. They smiled at each other, unable to be anything but happy. "And just to be absolutely one hundred percent clear, this relationship is exclusive."

"Of course." He nodded.

"And that kiss… I think you've pretty much screwed me over for anyone else now." She joked.

Steve smirked. "Good." He raised his cup to his lips as Tania laughed.

"You changed my life Steve. For the better. I just thought I should let you know that."

"You've changed mine too Tania. Without you I might still be depressed about what I lost, but I'm not anymore. And it's thanks to you."

"Good. We can't have a depressed Captain America, now can we?" she made sure to lower her voice so that no one could hear.

Noticing this, Steve suddenly lost some of his confidence. "Um, are you sure about this Tania? I mean, I'm going to go on missions frequently, and there's always going to be the possibility that I won't come back. And then there's the fact that I never know how long I'm going to be gone. And if this goes public, then everyone will know you're my weakness." His shoulders sagged. "I don't want to put you in danger."

"Steve, the moment I applied for this job I was put in danger. Whether or not we were dating, I would be in danger anyway. Working for Stark Industries, being best friends with Pepper Potts and by association, Tony Stark. I would probably still be friends with the lot of you whether or not we were together. And you going on missions all the time might be a bit annoying but I'm sure I can deal. And the possibility that you might not…" she choked up, unable to finish that sentence. "Well, I'll just have to get a few tips from Pepper." She sent him a tiny smile. "And we already live together, why not just take it one step further by getting romantically involved." She shrugged.

Steve nodded, taking her answers very seriously. He shifted in his seat and then leaned forward over the table. "Can I ask you something?" she nodded, "How long have you… felt this way, about me?" he blushed.

Tania blinked. But then she reached out and grabbed his hand with her good one and squeezed it. "I realized I loved you the day the paparazzi attacked me, but I don't think there was a specific point where I fell in love with you. There was always something about you that pulled me in, that said, 'don't let him walk away,' and I don't think it's ever going away."

Steve was in shock. "You… you love me?"

She chuckled. "Of course I do. If I didn't, I would have high-tailed it out of here the second we got back to the Tower and joined the Witness Protection Program."

He cracked a smile at her little joke. He pursed his lips, deep in thought, before finally blurting, "I love you too. And in my head, I said it first."  
Tania just laughed, glad to FINALLY be able to say that she was his girlfriend. She sipped her drink, happily sitting at a coffee shop with Captain America.

**A.N. I love all of you who are reading this! THANK YOU EVERYONE! :D :D :D**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N. Hello loyal readers! Just thought I'd let you know that the sequel is posted on my profile. It's called Having Coffee With Steve Rogers. I'm also going to post a little snippet of the first chapter here so that this one doesn't count as "just an author's note" because I'm pretty sure that's against the rules. I don't own the Avengers!**

There was a flash of bright light that blinded her momentarily. But when the spots were gone her smile was still plastered on her face, her arm still around his waist. She prayed that she hadn't blinked. She leaned over towards his ear and grinned for the cameras while she whispered.

"Steve, are you sure about this?"

He squeezed her waist affectionately in response and nodded to one of the cameraman as they took another photo. "No." he replied honestly, whispering through gritted teeth. "But it was bound to happen." They were blinded yet again and barely had a second to recuperate before the next one came. "How long do we have to do this?"

She shrugged. "Don't look at me, you're the famous one."

"Tania-"

"It's Tony Stark!" someone shouted, and soon everyone's attention was diverted from the newest power couple of Manhattan and they both breathed sighs of relief.

Having just publicly introduced their relationship, on a red carpet no less, Tania and Steve were emotionally drained. They were glad when Tony's black stretch limo pulled up just a few feet away. It gave them time to breathe.

**A.N. Sorry it's so short, but I didn't wanna give too much away. Hope this catches your attention enough to get you to read, (and maybe review while you're at it (; ) LA FIN**


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